Cuttack: Senior BJD MP and one of the party’s founder members, Bhartruhari Mahtab resigned from the primary membership of BJD Friday.
Mahtab, a six-time MP from the Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency, said: “I have sent my resignation letter to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at 4 pm today.”
The veteran parliamentarian, who was awarded the ‘Sansad Ratna’ for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 for his outstanding performance in Parliament debates, said he quit the party as he did not get ample opportunity to work freely in the BJD.
Mahtab’s resignation came a day after a special court in Cuttack framed charges against him in a case related to the alleged assault of a police officer on duty 13 years ago.
“I was not been able to work properly within the BJD… You will understand that the charges were framed against me after 13 years. The government framed the chargesheet against its own MP,” he told a press conference here.
“Whenever I made some statement, it was exaggerated by the party… When I spoke in support of the uniform civil code, the BJD said it was my personal opinion. Not only this, many such things have happened in the past,” Mahtab said.
The MP said he chose to remain “silent” during the past one-and-half years due to “this attitude” of the BJD.
Asked whether he had drawn the attention of Patnaik, Mahtab said, “I have discussed with the CM and he told me ‘sochenge’ (I will think over it).”
Hitting out at the ruling party, he said the BJD has now diverted from its ideology to fight against “corruption and self-aggrandisement”.
Replying to queries about him joining the BJP, the MP said he has been consulting supporters and well-wishers in this regard.
BJP election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar said: “Mahtab ji is a very senior leader. If he wants to join us, the BJP will welcome him.”
PTI