Baijayant Panda rejects BJD’s allegations on holding office of profits

Bhubaneswar: Suspended Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Panda on Friday rejected the allegations made by his party that he holds the office of profits.

Panda said BJD legislators are making bizarre allegations against him to distract attention from law and order problem in the state.

He said office of profit applies to remunerative posts in government, not private sector.

He also strongly rejected the allegation of submitting wrong election affidavit with the Election Commission of India.

Notably, BJD earlier on Friday demanded that Panda should immediately resign as Lok Sabha member on ethical and moral grounds.

“Panda has lost all his moral authority to continue as Member of Parliament from Kendrapara. Hence we demand that Panda, the Vice Chairman of IMFA, should immediately resign as Member of Parliament from Kendrapara on ethical and moral grounds,” said BJD Vice President Bed Prakash Agarwal at a press conference here.

Agrawal accused Panda of having concealed the fact, that he is a paid employee and working as Vice-Chairman in IMFA, in the affidavit dated 21st March 2014 filed as part of his nomination papers for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.