Demand for Arukhs resignation grows shriller

BHUBANESWAR: Congress on Tuesday demanded immediate resignation of Law and Rural Development Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh for availing two houses from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) by submitting a false affidavit.Alleging that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is trying to cover up the misdeeds of his minister, the way he had shielded the ministers involved in the linkage coal scam, the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) said a probe by an independent agency will have skeletons tumble out of the closet.OPCC general secretary Arya Kumar Gyanendra said it was a grave offence to acquire two houses from the BDA by a false affidavit. He alleged that there were more ministers whose property statements had raised eyebrows.Stating that the property statements are  meant to hoodwink the people, the Congress leader alleged that even the Chief Minister had undervalued his property.Alleging that the ministers acquired disproportionate property during the last 12 years, the OPCC wanted that they should make their income tax returns of this period public.  The State Government had made the property statements of the ministers public on Saturday. This was the second time that the property statements were made public in recent history. It was last made when Biju Patnaik was the chief minister.