JOIN US The Congress, the principal opposition party in the state, has already demanded the arrest of the Lok Sabha member from the coastal Kendrapara constituency besides immediate seizure of the private helicopter, which was reportedly being flown by Panda.
The issue has already been raised in the state Assembly, which is currently having its winter session. Interestingly, a young Congress MP from Haryana was allegedly accompanying Panda in the controversial trip.
Though the MP’s chopper did not land inside the Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in the coastal Angul district, it was allegedly flying too close to the ground much to the discomfort of the animals in the sanctuary.
The opposition maintained that though forest officials manning the wildlife sanctuary were well aware of the MP’s flying antics, they remained silent because of his close association with BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Significantly, the chief minister is also heading the forest and environment portfolio.
The Pandas who own Orissa-based IMFA group and the Patnaiks had been family friends since long. Baijayant, who earlier was a Rajya Sabha member, was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time during last year’s polls.
Reacting to the development, Panda’s office here, however, strongly denied the charge that the MP had violated forest and wildlife laws during his air trip.