More BJD leaders question Naveen Patnaik’s defense of VK Pandian

BHUBANESWAR: The line of dissenters within the BJD is getting longer with two more senior leaders openly countering party president Naveen Patnaik for giving a clean chit to former bureaucrat and politician VK Pandian over his alleged role in influencing the voting decision of the party MPs on Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Former steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick on Friday said, instead of the party president coming forward to defend Pandian, the latter should himself clarify whether he had any role to play in the issue. “The suspicion among the party leaders and workers will be removed once and for all, if Pandian himself announces he does not play any role in the party now,” Mallick said.