Continuing with his action against the dissidents who tried to oust him from his post on May 29, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik removed another Minister from his Cabinet on Monday.
Mr. Patnaik told journalists that he had written a letter to Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to dismiss Housing and Urban Development Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak.
The action against Mr. Nayak came just three days after Mr. Patnaik removed two other Ministers for their alleged involvement in the bid to remove him as Chief Minister when he was away in the U.K. on an official trip.
Justifying his action, Mr. Patnaik said the behaviour of Mr. Nayak was “more serious than the shadow of corruption.”
Mr. Nayak, who represents the Rourkela constituency in the Assembly, is known for his proximity to dissident leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra, who was suspended from the BJD along with two other legislators earlier. According to sources, Mr. Patnaik was likely to take action against more Ministers and legislators who were party to the unsuccessful bid to remove him as leader of the Biju Janata Dal Legislature Party.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mohapatra again clarified that no attempt was made to oust Mr. Patnaik as Chief Minister.
Mr. Patnaik had earlier branded Mr. Mohapatra a “traitor” and termed the midnight operation against him a sad thing to have happened.
On the other hand, BJD workers burnt effigies of Mr. Mohapatra in Keonjhar and Kendrapara districts during the day for organising a revolt against Mr. Patnaik and demanded further action against the Rajya Sabha member.
