Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Tuesday demanded the
resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claiming that he
had lost all right to remain in office in view of the Orissa
High Court`s observation that the state government had
adopted a mineral policy to suit favoured parties.
In view of the court`s observation Patnaik had lost
the right to continue in office as it also validated the
allegation of BJP and others that the BJD government showed
undue favour to certain companies, senior BJP leader Bijoy
Mohapatra told reporters here.
Alleging that observation demonstrated that the
Mineral Policy of the state was a total mess, he said, "now
the chief minister and his entire cabinet are in a dock as the
state`s mineral policy was their product, he said.
Mohapatra and BJP legislature party leader K V
Singhdeo said the chief minister had always been stating that
the law would take its own course. "Now that the court order
is out, Patnaik should step down showing due respect to the
august constitutional body."
Accusing the state government of not following any
uniform and consistent policy, Mohapatra said in order to
favour certain companies it had been taking different stands
for different parties at different points of time.
The chief minister must honour the findings of the
high court and step down at the earliest not only on moral,
but on legal ground also, he said.
In a major setback to the proposed Rs 51,000 crore
Posco steel project in Paradip, the Orissa High Court had on
July 14 set aside the state governments recommendation for
PL for the Khandadhar iron ore reserve in favour of it.
PTI
