By Sunil Jena, Editor-in-Chief
Bhubaneswar: The ongoing session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed sharp exchanges on Tuesday when senior BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain raised the long-debated issue of the Ratna Bhandar keys, directly challenging the present Mohan government.
Participating in the discussion on the Investment Bill, Swain recalled several political statements made during the last general election campaign regarding the missing Ratna Bhandar keys. He noted that, at that time, various leaders from the BJP had repeatedly claimed that the keys had “gone to Tamil Nadu” and that the matter required a CBI inquiry. He pointed out that these claims had created significant public discourse during the election period.
Swain said that if such serious allegations were made in the past, the government should now clarify its position. He questioned why if those earlier allegations were believed to be true, there had been no official action or investigation after the new government assumed office.
He also remarked that the discussion surrounding former bureaucrat VK Pandian had been politically amplified during the campaign. According to Swain, since the government now holds the administrative authority, it should explicitly state whether it stands by those earlier accusations or considers them resolved.
The MLA’s comments effectively placed the ball back in the government’s court, suggesting that if promises were made earlier regarding an inquiry into the Ratna Bhandar key issue, clarity is now expected from the ruling side.
Earlier during the election period, several BJP leaders had raised the topic frequently, stating that an inquiry would be initiated once they came to power. Swain reminded the House of these commitments and demanded transparency on the current stance of the government on this sensitive matter.
Tuesday’s intervention by the BJD legislator triggered fresh political discussion inside and outside the Assembly, as it touched on one of the most widely debated topics of the last election. His remarks also drew attention to the need for clear communication from the government on whether it believes the matter warrants further investigation.
With this, the Ratna Bhandar key controversy has once again taken centre stage in Odisha’s political narrative, and all eyes will now be on how the Mohan government responds in the coming days.
