Addressing a news conference, the president of the BJD and Union minister for Steel and Mines Naveen Patnaik said that he will take up the issue with Prime Minister AB Vajpayee. ``How can a person who conspired against a woman (Anjana Mishra) with the Advocate General come to the rescue of poor people of the state,'' Patnaik said.

Patnaik, however, had demanded resignation of the Chief Minister by saying that he is allegedly involved in misconduct of a serious nature. The BJD chief initially avoided a categorical answer on the issue of whether Article 356 can be applied in the case of Orissa. It took Patnaik 30 minutes and a grilling by the news reporters to announce the BJD's demand for imposition of Article 356 in the state.

The leader of Opposition Ramakrushna Patnaik, who was present at the news conference, observed that the demand forimposition of Article 356 will dilute the issue of the Chief Minister's misconduct in the Anjana Mishra molestation case.

Criticising the state government for its all round failure including financial mismanagement, the BJD chief demanded that the Chief Minister should resign immediately. He announced that the BJD will launch an agitation demanding the resignation of chief minister JB Patnaik from October 1.

Replying to questions, the Union Minister demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation should investigate the charges made by the former director general of police AB Tripathy against the Chief Minister in his affidavit. Patnaik said that he will take up the issue with the Prime Minister.

Asked whether the BJD will support the bandh call given by the Bharatiya Janata Party on September 22 demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister, the Union Minister said, ``any agitation against the corrupt Congress government is welcome.'' However, the BJD will have its separate agitation programme, headded.