Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee has said ‘NO’ to inclusion of its member in the Committee formed by the State Government to study how Legislative Councils function in other State.
How could the Government dare to form such a Committee and include one of its MLA in the said Committee when the power of appointing any Committee of MLAs in any matter that has or may have any link with any legislative action rests only with the Assembly and/or the Speaker, asked PCC Chief Prasad Harichandan, while holding the modus operandi of the Government as anti-democracy .
Disillusionment is spreading like wildfire in the BJD, precipitated by collapse of credibility of the Chief Minister, as the tempest of investigation into chit fund and other scams and scandals has already thrown a pack of party heavyweights into jails as under-trial-prisoners; and sure that their colleagues in power have pocketed fabulous sums of money under the knowledge of or in connivance of their boss-cum-Chief Minister, many of BJD members, who matter, are strongly indicating that, they need their share of the cake. This has unnerved Naveen.
Prasad says, the Legislative Council idea, which he had mooted but the Government had not cooperated with, is being exploited at this juncture by the ruling party to tackle the contradiction it is facing following scam exposures. The government is in such squirm that it failed to think it prudent to consult at least the leader of the Congress in the Assembly, who also is the Leader of Opposition, before appointing a Congress member in the five-member committee of MLAs. The Congress party will not oblige the government in this act of illicit dwarfing of supremacy of the Assembly, he has made clear on behalf of his party.
The other large Opposition Party – the BJP – has also withdrawn its member from the Committee, holding the creation thereof arbitrary and motivated.
Opposition ‘NO’ to the government created Committee is a strong slap on the face of Naveen Patnaik, who, after hoodwinking the voters in the name of his father – made legendary with concocted legends – has indulged in “MERI RAYA SAHASAN” (whimsical administration), to quote Prasad Harichaandan.