Bhubneswar: The BJD may explore legal options and approach the Election Commission (EC) to force the party's Kendrapara MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda to resign.

Party leaders had demanded that he resigned on moral grounds as he had suppressed information about his earnings from Indian Metal and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) while filing his affidavit for 2014 elections from Kendrarpara Lok Sabha constituency.

Panda reacted saying the allegations by the party leaders were bizarre and they could approach to the EC or high court on the issue. "Bizarre allegations against me by educated & experienced state legislators (to distract attn from law & order?). Ofc of Profit applies to remunerative posts in govt, not pvt sector or proff'l practice. & I strongly reject allegation of wrong election affidavit: take up w/EC or HC," he tweeted.

The party on Friday raked up the issue of "office of profit" by stating that Panda had suppressed the fact that he had been drawing salary as the vice-chairman of the IMFA, a company which is into mining, ferro alloys and power.

The party had also roped in all its senior leaders to highlight the issue of how MP had concealed the fact about his earnings in his affidavit for the 2014 elections.

On Saturday, the party snubbed Panda again by not inviting him to the launch ceremony of The Tall Man Biju Patnaik by Sundar Ganesan.

While all the senior party leaders were at the function which was attended by former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and CPM party chief Sitaram Yechury, Panda rushed to Puri to pay his tributes at the Biju Memorial. He also visited Lord Jagannath temple. Former minister Damodar Rout, who was recently dropped from the ministry, was also conspicuous by his absence at the book release. He said: "I got the invite at the last moment and could not make it because of past engagements."

Reacting on not being invited to the ceremony, Panda tweeted: "People from all over have been invited for today's book launch on Biju Babu, incl nat'l & political leaders from all parties. I'm deeply hurt at not being invited, although some relatives have received (individual) invites. This is no longer a surprise, but reeks of pettiness."

In Puri, Panda also did not spare his critics and hinted that he paid the price for telling the truth. "If Biju babu had been here, things would have been different," he said.

Panda went to the extent saying: "Had Biju babu been with us, he would have welcomed my views. People who consider him as their ideal would never have remained silent."