By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 26, 2019: Odisha Assembly on Wednesday was virtually paralyzed with the opposition Congress members insisting on a clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on ruling BJD’s support to BJP nominee Ashwini Vaishnav for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra raised the issue by saying that Vaishnav, a former IAS officer was hand in glove with the mining mafia as well as a beneficiary of the discretionary quota (DQ) scam in Odisha.

Mishra asked how Vaishnab’s candidature will help protect the interest of the state.

A task force headed by former IAS officer Tara Dutt investigated the DQ scam and made some recommendations to the government which, in turn, directed the vigilance in 2017 to take action based on the recommendations.

“Will the Chief Minister inform this House that the vigilance has exonerated Vaishnav in the DQ case?” Mishra asked adding that the CM always talks of transparency and zero tolerance towards corruption.

He said Vaishnav was among the 1197 persons who were benefited in the DQ scam – “illegal” allotment of land to influential persons in the state.

Mishra claimed he has documents to show how many mining scams Vaishnav is involved.

He said, “Shah Commission report will speak for itself. CBI investigation was proposed. Why the NDA government did not order a CBI investigation into mining scam in last 5 years?”

The Congress leader also criticised the BJP for making Vaishnab its candidate. “The BJP has no moral right to claim to be the opposition party in Odisha because it is hand in glove with the BJD,” Mishra said.

Vaishnab, who was in the assembly premises to enquire about his candidature for the Rajya Sabha polls, said, “I have nothing to hide. I will tell many things. But let the election process be over.”

Asked about the vigilance probe against him in the DQ scam as alleged by the Congress, Vaishnav said, “Let there be a probe into all the allegations. I am insisting on investigation because the allegations are false.”

The MB Shah Commission that enquired the illegal mining cases of Odisha had recommended CBI probe into it in 2014.

While demanding a ruling from the Chair on the Chief Minister’s clarification over the matter, Congress members led by Tara Prasad Bahinipati rushed to well of the House and shouted anti-government and anti-speaker slogans.

They too gave slogan on BJD-BJP nexus.

Unable to run the House, Speaker SN Patro adjourned the proceeding at least for five times before holding an all-party meeting to end the deadlock.

The ruling BJD last week announced Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha by-polls in Odisha and said it will support BJP nominee Ashiwini Vaishnab for the third seat.

Vaishnab was a private secretary to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.