By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 7, 2016 : Former Union Minister and Samata Kranti Dal chief Braja Kishore Tripathy on Tuesday claimed that Odisha’s ruling party -Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had Maoist links and it had been using the ultras for its political and electoral gains.

Tripathy, who once belonged to the BJD claimed that the ruling party had transferred Rs 45 lakh from its bank account to the personal bank account of Odisha Maobadi Party chief Sabyasachi Panda.

“I am in possession of documents that an amount of Rs 45 lakh was transferred from BJD account no. 10091755246 to Sabyasachi Panda’s ICICI Bank Chhatrapur branch account no. 203601501728 through cheque no. 441630,” Tripathy told media persons saying that he had written to the Prime Minister to order an inquiry into the matter.

“How come money has been transferred from the BJD party’s bank account to that of Sabyasachi Panda who is known for his extremist views and is now in jail? The party’s bank account operates in the Chief Minister name, who is the BJD’s president since its inception and continues to do so till date. This clearly indicates that the Chief Minister has patronized Maoists which have now spread their operations to 18 out of 30 districts of the state. The Chief Minister has utilized Maoists for his party’s electoral and political gains,” Tripathy asserted.

BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satapathy, however, refuted the charges calling them as baseless and unrealistic. “The BJD has been trying to bring Maoists into the mainstream. That the Biju Janata Dal has extended financial assistance, though I have no specific information in this matter but this allegation is not correct. BJD has taken up several programmes in Maoist infested areas. These allegations are baseless and unrealistic. I can firmly say that BJD has no Maoist links,” Satapathy said.