JB Pattnaik asks Naveen Patnaik to step down

JB Pattnaik asks Naveen Patnaik to step down

by UNI, Bhubaneswar

19th February 2006

Leader of opposition and former Chief Minister J B Pattnaik today asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to step down from his post in the interest of the state, owning moral responsibility for the 12 tribals killed in police firing.

Participating in the opposition motion on Kalinga Nagar issue in the Orissa Assembly which remained inconclusive even after four days of debate, suspending four days of the house, Mr Pattnaik said the government would not collapse with the Chief Minister's resignation.

He said he had also tendered his resignation owning moral responsibility in the Staines murder case which was endorsed by the All India Congress Committee and asked the Chief Minister to step down from his post considering the gravity of the situation and for the greater interest of the state.

The leader of opposition said the Chief Minister directed the police to use force against the tribals during the construction of boundary wall of the Tata project.

He said Mr Naveen Patnaik always projected himself as clean and transparent man, adding that his resignation would not affect his clean image. He refuted charges that the opposition was against industrialisation.