Bhubaneswar, July 28: The BJD today demanded an unconditional apology from the BJP for "tarnishing the image" of chief minister Naveen Patnaik over "misutilisation" of election funds and accused Narendra Modi's party of "juvenile behaviour".
After the BJP leaders went to the Election Commission on the issue yesterday in New Delhi, the ruling party today fielded one of its most articulate leaders and legal luminary, Puri MP Pinaki Mishra, and spokesperson Pratap Deb to explain the party's position.
Mishra told newspersons: "The BJP should have done its homework before making an issue of it. They have not done it. They are behaving in a juvenile manner."
On the mismatch of the financial statements of the BJD and Naveen's election expenses in his Hinjili Assembly constituency, the party said the total expenditure by Naveen is Rs 17,27,848. "The party had given Rs 10 lakh to Naveen. Of this, he had returned Rs 6,48,320 to the party through a cheque and spent the remaining amount of Rs 3,51,680," Mishra said.
In an election, apart from getting funds a candidate also gets support from the party in the form of poster, banners and rents toward vehicles and helicopters.
"On that account, the party has spent Rs 9,58,945 in Hinjili. The total funds given by the party and the amount spent on materials add up to Rs 13,10,625. Apart from this, Naveen had spent Rs 4,17,223 from his own account. The total amount spent is Rs 17,27,848. All these details are with the Election Commission," Mishra said.
The party also gave a break-up of the Rs 9,58,945 that the party had spent for Naveen.
"The expenses on transport, choppers, vehicles comes to around Rs 9,26,970, the cost on posters, handbills and banners was Rs 8,993 and on display boards and others around Rs 16,021 was spent," he said.
Replying to the charge of using the same RTGS number to remit money to the accounts of Naveen and jailed Mayurbhanj MP Ramchandra Hansda, the party said that it was an attempt to mislead the people.
"For effecting an RTGS transaction a cheque has to be issued. The State Bank of India has already said the transactions are bona fide and legal and carried out as normal banking transactions. Ramchandra Hansda was paid Rs 10 lakh by the BJD vide cheque number 441666 dated 08.05.2014. This has nothing to do with the cheque number of Naveen Patnaik who was paid vide SBI cheque number 441619. The cheques are different," the MP said.
Stating that the BJP's allegations are "false, fabricated and malicious," Mishra said: "The BJP has also raised objection to the nine digit number "538 97 6288" printed in the passbook. According a clarification given by the State Bank of India, the nine digit number is a superfluous number picked up from core banking solution (CBS) in case of batch postings."
Mishra pointed out that the BJP's allegations were based on a writ petition filed by a person in the high court last year. Their entire allegations are based on the petition.
"The election was over in 2014. The petitioner moved court in 2016 and did not even pursue it for one long year. We know what he was doing! He is a two bit blackmailer," Mishra said.
Reacting to the Mishra's charges, vice-president of the BJP's state unit, Samir Mohanty, said: "The BJD is trying to mislead every one on the issue. The case is sub-judice. Why is the BJD not demanding a probe suo-motu before the Election Commission?"
In a related development, a petition moved in Orissa High Court today sought its intervention on the ground that the chief minister had automatically disqualified himself by filing "incorrect' affidavit on statement of accounts and expenses in the run up to the 2014 Assembly election. The case will be taken up for hearing on July 31.
