Prafulla Chandra Ghadei

Former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, who was the most powerful minister till chief minister Naveen Patnaik dropped him from his cabinet on Thursday for his alleged role in the May 29 coup attempt, spoke exclusively to Subhashish Mohanty

It is being said that chief minister, Naveen Patnaik dropped you from the ministry because you allegedly extended tacit support to the coup leader by Pyari Mohan Mohapatra on May 29th. What’s your reaction?

I had never helped Mohapatra. These allegations are baseless, motivated and concocted. On the instructions of the chief minister that day, I had rushed to Naveen Nivas along with my other friends. We called party MLAs to Naveen Nivas to foil the coup. I was at Naveen Nivas from May 29 night till the chief minister returned from London on May 31. Because of our efforts, the coup was foiled.

If you had helped defeat the coup, then why did you lose the confidence of the chief minister and dropped from the ministry?

Some people have succeeded in poisoning the mind of the chief minister. Every thing was okay till the arrival of the chief minister from London. But, some of my friends worked overtime and started poisoning his mind telling him that I was in cahoots with Mohapatra and was desperate to become the chief minister. It changed his impression of me.

Do you think you have become the victim of a bigger conspiracy hatched by some of your friends?

I have no grouse against any one. However, I feel that I have been victimised. My exit may benefit some people. I must mention here that it was I who had asked Naveenji to return to Bhubaneswar from London upon hearing of the coup attempt.

There is a public perception that you are loyal to Mohapatra as he had helped you in getting the party ticket for your son who is now an MLA.

I am always faithful to the party and its leader Naveenji. I never treat any one else as my leader even today. I discharged my duty sincerely as and when he gave me any assignment in the government or at the party level.

He had entrusted me with the organisation of Biju Shradha Divas (the death anniversary of late Biju Patnaik) on April 17 last and had also asked me to coordinate Odisha Bandh to protest against the steep hike in petrol prices when he was away from the state. I did my best.

Questions have been raised about your MLA son Preeti Ranjan Ghadei’s involvement in the failed coup?

He is one of the promising young MLAs of the party. On May 29, he was in Jajpur Road area. The day before he was leading a hunger strike outside an industrial unit in Jajpur. When he was informed about the coup attempt, Preeti immediately came to Bhubaneswar.

Your son’s involvement in a brawl with the Hussain Rabi Gandhi also invited the wrath of the chief minister. You paid the price?

He was not involved in any kind of anti-party activity. These are false and baseless allegations against him.

There have been allegations that a section of BJD leaders wanted to make inroads into the mining belt where you have considerable influence. They don’t want your presence in the party.

I don’t know who they are. But I am a known trade union leader. Most of the mines belong to the Odisha Mining Corporation and the Tatas. I believe in settling the demands of the workers. On the instruction of the chief minister, I was working for peaceful industrialisation.

You have been dropped from the ministry. The security will be taken away from you. Do you feel there a threat to your life?

My constituency Sukinda has seen Maoists activities. Only two days ago a Maoist leader was arrested in the area. There is always a threat to my life. If government wants, it can provide me security.

Where is your political career heading?

I am a disciplined soldier of the party. I will go to my constituency and work for the people. People are with me and they are my strength.