Bhubaneswar, Oct 22 (PTI) The Odisha unit of BJP sat on a 24-hour 'satyagraha' near the city police headquarters here demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged involvement of ministers and MLAs of the ruling BJD in the Archana Nag scandal.

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The agitators are also demanding interrogation of the state school education minister in the killing of BJD zilla parishad member of Puri district.

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They threatened to further intensify its protests and gherao Chief minister Naveen Patnaik's residence if the police do not conduct proper investigation into both the cases in which his ministers are allegedly involved.

Terming the Archana Nag scandal as the "biggest in the history of Odisha", the saffron party alleged that the police was shielding ruling party politicians having links with Archana Nag, who has been arrested for blackmailing influential persons.

Archana Nag and her husband had amassed properties worth Rs 30 crore by blackmailing rich and influential persons and a number of MLAs of the ruling party and ministers were in touch with the couple, the protestors alleged.

Her husband was also arrested and sent to jail by the city police a fortnight after Archana's arrest. The couple is lodged at the special jail at Jharpada area in the capital city.

Nag used to identify herself as a lawyer and befriend influential people. She later allegedly blackmailed them by using intimate photos and videos, an officer who is part of the investigation said.

The saffron party agitators also demanded interrogation of School and Mass Education Minister S R Dash in connection with the death of BJD zila parishad member Dharmendra Sahoo of Puri district.

BJP state general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said, "The BJD government will be washed away in 2024 elections in the tears of women, who have been abused by the ruling party leaders”.

He said the BJP doubted a nexus between the police and the ruling party leaders in both the cases. The police is wilfully not probing the involvement of Dash in the murder of the BJD zilla parishad member.

BJD, however, rejected the allegation and claimed that the law is taking its own course.

“The police has already said that whoever is involved in crime, will be booked,” said BJD leader Prasant Muduli.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)