Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal today made a scathing attack on expelled Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi on latter’s excuses and explanations over his expulsion.
Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi thinks that the people of Odisha are fools and cannot understand his anti-people activities, said the BJD.
Speaking to media, BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb said that the party never takes any action without any evidence.
Justifying Pradeep Panigrahi’s expulsion from the party on the grounds of anti-people activities, Deb said that at a time when the people of Ganjam were struggling for their livelihood during COVID-19 pandemic, he (Pradeep babu) was living a lavish life with private chartered flights and staying in five star hotels spending lakhs of rupees.
The three-time Gopalpur MLA along with Pathak family travelled lavishly in chartered flights and led an extravagant life with stay in Hotel Taj Mumbai in August, 2020 while the people of Ganjam were suffering the worst health crisis and there was sharp spike in infections and related deaths, the BJD said.
In Mumbai, he along with Pathak family, spent about Rs. 84 lakhs at Hotel Taj, Mumbai. Similarly, they spent lakhs of rupees at the Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi as well.
Such insensitive and negligent behaviour of a public representative and MLA Pradeep Panigrahi is shameful and exposes his anti-people activities, the ruling party further stated.
While the State government, Ganjam district administration and other public representatives toiled day and night in Ganjam during August, 2020 to combat the COVID pandemic, Pradeep Panigrahi along with Pathak family enjoyed lavish lifestyle and abdicated his role as a people’s representative. This is nothing but only anti-people activity of Pradeep Panigrahi, the BJD said.