Intensifying its attack on the BJD government in Orissa over pulses scam, the BJP today sought the governor's sanction to prosecute chief minister Naveen Patnaik and demanded a wider probe into the supply of pulses for children and pregnant women in all 30 districts.
Demanding immediate resignation of the chief minister, a BJP delegation met governor MC Bhandare and sought his sanction for prosecution of Patnaik for supply of allegedly substandard dal for mid-day meal and supplementary nutrition programme.
"The chief minister should step down forthwith as dal scam is a serious matter. The government played with the lives of children and pregnant women by feeding them rotten and contaminated pulses," state BJP president Jual Oram told reporters after their meeting with the governor.
In addition, the probe being conducted by the vigilance department should be widened to cover purchase and supply of dal for MDM and SNP (Supplementary Nutrition Programme) in all the 30 districts of the state, he said.
Pointing out that the vigilance investigation at present is confined to only five districts, Oram said the government appeared to be reluctant to detect "irregularities" in other districts.
Though Pramila Mallik resigned as women and child development minister in the wake of the scam, the BJP has also been demanding resignation of school and mass education ninister Pratap Jena and urban development minister Badri Narayan Patra in connection with coal scam.
Expressing similar views, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh accused the Naveen Patnaik government of failing to take action in any of the scams that rocked the state during the BJD rule.
No action was taken in mining scam and coal scandal and now irregularities were detected in supply of pulses for MDM scheme and SNP, he said.
Hitting back, senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra said while opposition parties were silent all these years, the scam was detected following a complaint by a ruling party MLA.
