BJP demands Naveen to resign on Vedanta University issue

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded resignation of Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik

BJP demands Naveen to resign on Vedanta University issue

BHUBANESWAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded resignation of chief minister Naveen Patnaik following the union environment and forest ministry’s decision to keep in abeyance the clearance given to Vedanta University Project (VUP) at Puri.

Addressing a press conference here, the BJP state vice president and Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany said the environmental clearance given to the VUP was put on hold after the ministry of environment and forest realised that it was misled the Naveen Patnaik about the project site.

“The Centre put on hold the VUP’s environment clearance only after it found prima facie evidences about violation of the environment rules and laws. The chief minister, despite knowing that the 6,300 acres of land given to the project is rich in minerals and of strategic importance, Mr Patnaik went overboard to facilitate transfer of the land to the project for some obvious reasons,” Mr Pany said.

Vedanta Birodhi forum convenor Uma Bhallav Rath said the chief minister no longer could hide his blunder “as the report of Lok Pal and the Union government’s decision clearly exposed every irregularity committed to show undue favour to Anil Agawal Foundation, the promoter, to acquire land.

Lambasting the chief minister, Mr Rath said the latter was so passionate about helping his industrialist friend Anil Agarwal that “he did not hesitate to sell the land of Lord Jagannath to the proposed university project.”

The BJP vice president said his party would continue its struggle against the VUP till the Centre withdrew the environmental clearance.

Earlier, on April 6 last, the union environment and forest ministry had given clearance to the university project.

Several organizations and eminent social leaders had filed petitions before competent authorities seeking cancellation of the clearance.