Bhubaneswar: The heat in the Odisha Assembly over charges of corruption raised by expelled BJD leader Damodar Rout singed the corridors of the House on Monday.

Stepping out of the Assembly, Paradip MLA Rout, who was expelled from the BJD for anti-party activities, was speaking to reporters.

Rout told reporters: "Former chief minister Biju Patnaik had given a call to beat up corrupt officials. Now, his son chief minister Naveen Patnaik has turned corruption into a principle of governance."

Rout's charge angered cooperation minister Surya Narayan Patro, who jumped to the rescue of the government and accused the former BJD veteran of having links with gangster Tito.

"It is alleged that Rout had terrorised transporters with the help of Tito. He had taken transport contract of Iffco fertiliser plant in Paradip. Truth will come to light when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state crime branch completes its inquiry," he said.

An angry Rout retorted: "Why SIT, Patro can refer the matter to Interpol."

Piling up attack on Rout, BJD spokesperson Samir Ranjan Dash alleged that he had illegally granted licence to 93 liqour shops, including eight in his home district, when he was the excise minister.

Denying the charge, Rout dared Dash to prove it. "During my tenure, the excise revenue had gone up to Rs 2,800 crore per year from the earlier Rs 1,400 crore. Besides, not a single person had died of hooch tragedy," he said.