Balasore( OT Webdesk ): Political tensions in Odisha have escalated further as the BJP has filed a defamation suit against Sitanshu Dwivedi, the lawyer representing arrested BJD leader Raja Chakra. The case was registered in Balasore’s SDJM court on Friday, following Dwivedi’s claims that the BJP was linked to a ₹1.3 crore transaction allegedly tied to a transport scam.
BJP state chief Manmohan Samal dismissed the allegations, describing them as “false, malicious, and politically motivated.” He emphasised that the party’s finances were clean and audited, warning that those spreading misinformation would face legal repercussions.
Background: The Transport Scam
Raja Chakra, a prominent BJD leader, was arrested in March by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with a ₹1.32 crore transport scam involving fraudulent transactions and alleged fund siphoning.
His bail plea remains pending due to missing financial evidence.
Authorities have also seized 13 trucks linked to the case, expanding the probe to investigate alleged connections between Chakra and former top officials, including a Keonjhar SP, a district collector, and BJD’s Bobby Das.
BJP’s Legal Response
Dwivedi had claimed that ₹1.3 crore was funnelled into the BJP’s state account, with ₹53 lakh withdrawn by a former secretary of a mining agency. The BJP has firmly denied these allegations, calling them a “conspiracy” aimed at tarnishing its reputation.
Former mining agency secretary Anjan Bej, named in the allegations, also denied any involvement. The unfolding controversy has further deepened the political rivalry between the BJD and the BJP ahead of crucial elections.
With both legal and political battles intensifying, Odisha’s political landscape is set for more heated exchanges in the days ahead.
