By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 24, 2018: Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday suspended Lok Sabha member from Kendrapara, Baijayant Panda from the primary membership of the party today on charges of anti-party activities.

This was announced by the BJD Vice President and minister Surya Narayan Patro at a press meet here.

Panda had been in the news for his indirect attack on Patnaik by accusing an IAS officer in the CM’s office of indulging in political activity and controlling the party affairs going beyond the briefs of his service rules.

Panda made the accusation after he faced stiff opposition from a section of BJD workers during his visits to his constituency, Kendrapara for launching of various developmental work financed under MPLAD fund. While the BJD workers complained that he was keeping the local peoples’ representatives away in such programmes, Panda refuted the allegations.

BJD president and chief minister, Patnaik had asked two of his party leaders to enquire into the charges against Panda and submit report.

Meanwhile, following his suspension, Panda tweeted, “I am shocked at this news. Very sad @Naveen_ Odisha didn’t see through the conspiracy against me led by an IAS officer now controlling the party. I vehemently deny the allegations against me, they are entirely false and baseless.”

However, Patro said that Panda started in anti-party activities after the party disapproved his suggestion to endorse his name for the chairmanship of the Lok Sabha Finance Standing Committee.

“MP Jay Panda has never hesitated to criticise the party in Parliament, in the State and his constituency and before media. He even went on praising the opposition and during the three-tier Panchayat Election in the State in 2017, the parliamentarian was involved in anti-party activities like not campaigning for party candidates in his own constituency and even campaigning for candidates of other parties. Such activities of the lawmaker is definitely demoralising for the party workers who have sent him to the Parliament four times,” said Patro while making the announcement.

Patra also rebuffed Panda’s claim that he was one of the founding members of BJD.

There were also controversies over Panda, who continued as the vice-president of his family firm Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) receiving over Rs 1.45 billion as remuneration in 2014 and playing a key role in waiver of billions of rupees of loan pending on IMFA.