Thaindian News

Bhubaneswar, Jan 19 (IANS) Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy Thursday submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after the opposition accused him of protecting culprits in a gangrape case.

“I submitted the resignation on moral grounds,” Maharathy told IANS after putting in his papers.

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped Nov 28 last year by some people near her village Arjunagoda, about 10 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. The site of the crime comes under Pipili assembly constituency that Maharathy represents.

“The opposition parties are trying to malign the image of our government and the image of the chief minister. I resigned to protect their image and to ensure free and fair investigation,” Maharathy said, adding that neither he nor any of his partymen were involved in the crime.

“I am ready to face any probe,” the five-time lawmaker from Pipili constituency said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he has received the resignation letter and has forwarded it to Governor M.C. Bhandare for acceptance.

However, the opposition parties said the resignation was a “drama” and that the chief minister must resign as he holds the home portfolio.

“Does he (Patnaik) not have any moral responsibility? The resignation is a drama,” state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik told reporters.

He also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Jual Oram too demanded a CBI probe.

“The chief minister has no moral right to continue. He should quit,” he said.

The woman is admitted to a hospital in Cuttack, 26 km from here, and is in coma. Her family alleges that the rapists were the same people who had assaulted her in 2008 and against whom she had put up a determined fight in court in a molestation case.

The matter came to light recently when the victim was allegedly denied proper treatment at a hospital and some media persons reported the matter after meeting her family members.