SENSATIONAL: In huge blow to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Jay Panda quits Biju Janata Dal with explosive resignation letter. Read it here

Lok Sabha MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda has written a sensational resignation letter to his party, the Biju Janata Dal.

At the very start of his letter, Jay Panda expresses his belief that the BJD no longer wants him, by writing:

It is deep anguish, hurt and sorrow that I have decided to quit the kind of politics into which our BJD has descended.

Although things have been going from bad to worse for the past four years, it has plumbed the absolute depths of inhumanity when neither you nor anyone from the BJD turned up to pay their last respects to my father Bansidhar Panda, who as everyone knows was a very close friend, supporter and associate of Birju uncle for many decades. In stark contrast, thousands of well-wishers came to pay last respect, including senior leaders of all other political parties.

I was heartbroken when several BJD colleagues conveyed that they had been restrained from coming by to pay their last respects to the departed soul. That the BJD does not want me anymore and in fact wants me out, is now irrefutably the last straw, it is now beyond my self-respect to continue to be associated with the party in an atmosphere as mean as this.

 Read the remainder of the letter below:

Earlier in 2018, Jay Panda had been suspended from primary membership of the party by BJD president and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik after being accused of indulging in anti-party activities. Panda had denied the charges calling them false and baseless.

Jay Panda's father had passed away last week. In his letter, he hit out, saying that nobody from the BJD, including Naveen Patnaik, turned up at the funeral.