Mohapatra accuses Patnaik in mining scam, dares him to order CBI probe

Facing allegations of having attempted a coup against the Patnaik government and being a part of the mining scam in Odisha, suspended BJD leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra has dared chief minister Naveen Patnaik to order a CBI probe against him. “If he has the guts, the Chief Minister should order a CBI probe instead of a vigilance inquiry into the allegations such as swindling of party funds against me, including the mining scam,” Mohapatra said, reacting to statements made by Naveen Patnaik and his loyalists, The Daily Pioneer reported. [caption id=“attachment_332335” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Odisha CM Naveen patnaik. PIB”]  [/caption] Mohapatra denied allegations by Keonjhar MLA Subarna Naik and Tribal MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak that he was trying to arrange Rs 200 crore through some mineral traders to stage a coup against Patnaik on 29 May. Nayak who had attended the coup meeting also revealed that two key BJD ministers were involved in the fund mobilisation against Patnaik who was away in the UK. Patnaik sacked mutineer-in-chief and Rajya Sabha MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra from the party on Monday. Barely hours after he was sacked, Mohapatra rubbished the allegations and dared Patnaik to call for a CBI probe. Adding to the Chief Minister’s embarrassment, the dissident BJD MP also claimed that despite repeated requests, Patnaik didn’t consent to probe politicians in the mining scam, reported CNN-IBN. “I said the vigilance is after the small officials in the mining scam why you are not taking action against the politicians, he did not respond,” Mohapatra said. There are allegations of a Rs 3 lakh crore mining scam in the past decade alone. A verdict on whether a CBI inquiry should be allowed in the scam is still reserved in the Odisha High Court.