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Nationalist Congress Party seeks sacking of Attorney-General

CUTTACK: Activists of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday staged a demonstration in front of the Orissa High Court here demanding immediate removal of State Advocate-General (AG) B K Mahanti from his post.

Alleging that AG’s son and daughter-in-law were involved in acquiring prime government land in the State capital fraudulently, the party questioned the continuation of Mr Mahanti in the post advising the government in legal matters.

“How can a person, who himself is involved in land scam would stand as a government counsel when as many as 70 illegal land acquisition cases are now being heard in the High Court”, asked NCP leader Anadi Sahu while addressing the demonstration that was attended by some 500 party activists.

Mr. Sahu claimed that fearing arrest, the AG’s son and daughter-in-law have now obtained anticipatory bail from the HC, as the State Crime Branch is now probing the multi-crore land scam involving several influential persons.

He alleged that the crime branch was now in a dilemma to publish the names of those influential persons involved in the scam as the home department is in the hand of state chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik. Sahu,a former IPS officer said if Mahanti is not immediately removed from his post, the NCP would stage state-wide agitation in near future.

The Advocate-General denied the allegations made against him saying he had no involvement in matters of acquisition of any land directly or indirectly whether it belongs to government or any other private person.

In a statement released to the press later in the day, Mr. Mahanti said he had also not appeared in any of the land acquisition cases filed by any claimant or opposed or challenged by the State Government where revenue department or general administration (GA) departments were parties.

Mr. Mahanti alleged that raking up the issue entangling him was aimed at diverting the issue by the NCP to protect some “unscrupulous” persons.

Mr. Mahanti claimed that he himself had brought to the notice of the government in January 2006 the improper acquisition of government land not only in Bhubaneswar but also in other parts of the State.

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