BJD suspects Jena’s role, Congress hits back

The political heat rises over the Presidential elections with both the BJD and the Congress indulging in mud-slinging over the office of profit held by UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee as the chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

While the youth wing of the regional outfit, the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), demonstrated by wearing black badges demanding that Mukherjee’s nomination   be rejected, the State Congress reacted by alleging this has proved the ‘intellectual hollowness of the BJD leaders.’

Criticising Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Srikant Jena for accepting backdated resignation of Mukherjee as the chairman of the Institute after he had filed his nomination papers, State BYJD president Sanjay Dasburma alleged that the argument that the post does not come under office of profit has surprised the people. Dasburma alleged that Mukherjee’s resignation as the chairman of the Institute, Kolkata, was announced only after a written complaint was filed by Presidential candidate P A Sangma. Besides Dasburma, Deputy Chief Whip of the BJD Legislature Party Arun Sahu, several MLAs and senior leaders took part in the demonstration.

Strongly reacting to the agitation launched by the BYJD, former minister and senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said this needs to be condemned. Without knowing whether the Institute chairman’s post is an office of profit, they have taken to the streets, thus exposing their ignorance about law.

Mishra asked the BJD leaders to go through the Prevention of Disqualification (Amendment) Act, 2006 closely. Item number-4 of the list of 55 slots that were included as per the 2006 Act says that the office of chairman, Indian Statistical Institute, is not an office of profit, he said.

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC)  criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for alleging that Mukherjee had doled out huge sums of funds as special package to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal as the Union Finance Minister keeping an eye on the Presidential polls.

Mishra said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has clarified that she never demanded  special package nor received any. She only demanded  three-year moratorium on interest on outstanding loans.

Similarly, as per the law enacted for the division of Bihar, it is entitled to certain amount of funds from the Centre. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also clarified that except these funds, the State has not received any special package.

Uttar Pradesh has also not received any special package, Mishra said and criticised the Chief Minister for making such allegations.

When Naveen’s allegations backfired, the BJD is trying to sensationalise the matter by raising the issue of office of profit, Mishra added.