Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi expelled from BJD

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janta Dal (BJD) on Sunday expelled sitting Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi from the primary membership of the party for his anti-people activities.

By the order of BJD President Naveen Patnaik, Panigrahi has been expelled from the ruling party with immediate effect.

“I have not done any anti-people activities. The BJD should clarify what is anti-people activity,” said Panigrahi reacting to the expulsion.

BJP president’s action against the Gopalpur MLA came after his alleged association with tainted IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak’s son Akash Kumar Pathak came to fore in media.

Both father and son have been arrested by the Vigilance on disproportionate assets case.

Panigrahi landed in trouble after the Tata Motors Limited (TML) recently lodged a complaint with the Crime Branch against Akash Kumar Pathak accusing him of committing cheating, forgery and impersonating as the Managing Director of the company.

The company in its FIR mentioned that Akash had taken huge amount of money fraudulently from unemployed youth alluring them of providing jobs in Tata Motors.

However, Panigrahi gave a clean chit to Akash Pathak, son of IFS officer Abhay Pathak.

“Akash was working in Romania but returned to Odisha to look after his ailing mother. He had scored highest mark in GMAT in the year 2016 and was selected for the Tata Group,” the legislator said.