BJD, Cong smell ‘vendetta’ in Biswal’s arrest; BJP denies charge

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KalingaTV News Network

Prabhat BiswalBhubaneswar: A war of words erupted between members of the BJD and Congress on one side and the BJP on the other soon after the arrest of Cuttack Choudwar MLA Prabhat Biswal from his residence by CBI officials on Monday night. While the ruling party MLAs accused the BJP led Central government of misusing the investigative agencies, even the Congress was seen speaking in unison with them.

Senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya was the first to react on the arrest of Biswal this morning. “If Biswal is guilty, then he must be brought under the law. But the way he was arrested yesterday night raises doubt. Even the arrest by CBI at a juncture when BJD is fighting for the cause of fuel hike creates a sense among us that the investigation agency is being misused by BJP,” he said.

Cuttack Sadar MLA Debasish Samantray too took a dig at the saffron party saying the arrest seems to be completely politically motivated. Pointing out that the case has been in court since 2014 and Biswal and his wife have appeared before the CBI a number of times in the past, Samantray said the arrest came just after ‘Hak Pain Hartal’ agitation making it clear that it was an act of political vendetta.

Putting a question mark on the intention of the saffron party in the arrest of Biswal, BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Keshari Deb said the MLA and his wife had appeared before the CBI in the chit fund case around 15 times. But the way he was detained and arrested yesterday clearly points at BJP’s conspiracy, added Deb. He was of the opinion that the BJP is trying to throttle the voice of the opposition.

Known for his blunt views, veteran BJD leader and Agriculture minister Damodar Rout cited the BJP national president’s claim of winning 120 seats in the next assembly election during his recent visit to Bhubaneswar and linked Biswal’s arrest to it. He said if the action is politically motivated, then it is dangerous.

Even senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik joined BJD members in criticising the BJP and asked why Biswal was arrested yesterday while the case was in court since long. The timing of the arrest raises doubts about the CBI misuse by BJP, he said.

However, senior BJP leader KV Singhdeo ruled out any political conspiracy in Biswal’s arrest and mocked at the BJD party. He said when CBI does not act, it claims that the probe process is slow and when it acts promptly its members bring such baseless allegations against it.

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