Kalinga Times Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, June 30: Ten days after Independent legislator from Athagarh seat Ramesh Rout resigned as Member of Odisha Assembly, Speaker Pradeep Amat on Tuesday asked Rout to appear before him by July 5 to explain why he wanted to quit from his post.

Amat issued the direction to Rout amid controversy over the latter's resignation following reports that the legislator remained incommunicado during the past few days.

There were also reports that Rout was actually not keen to resign as Member of state Assembly but had submitted his resignation under pressure.

According to sources, the Speaker would accept Rout's resignation only if he would be satisfied that the legislator was not resigning from the post under duress.

The Speaker also has written to the Director General of Police to provide security to Rout.

The controversy would be resolved before the second phase of the budget session of the Assembly begins on July 7, sources said.

Rout had handed over his resignation letter to Amat on June 20. He gad then told media persons that he wanted to quit the membership to help Ranendra Pratap Swain of the Biju Janata Dal to contest the bye-election.

Rout had won the recent Assembly polls as an Independent with the active support of the BJD.

The BJD had supported his candidature after Swain failed to contest the election following rejection of his nomination papers during scrutiny.

BJD president Naveen Patnaik, party's Rajya Sabha Member Pyarimohan Mohapatra as well as Swain had campaigned in support of Rout.