Rourkela: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today slammed the BJP and BJD alleging both have a ‘Partnership’ in Odisha and running the State.
Shri Gandhi, who is in Odisha as part of his ‘Bharat Joda Nyay Yatra’, addressed gatherings at Rourkela and Sundergarh today before leaving towards Jharsuguda.
In a brief speech in Rourkela, Shri Gandhi said: “As you know Naveen Patnaik and Narendra Modi run a partnership government in Odisha. They both have joined hands and work in tandem. I find in Parliament that BJD supports the BJP. The BJD people also disturb us at the instance of BJP”.
Shri Gandhi claimed that it is the Congress party alone which has been opposing the BJD-BJP partnership for the people of Odisha.
The Congress leader also came down heavily on Odisha’s BJD government saying that as many as 30 lakh people from the state have migrated as labourers to other states for livelihood as the State Government failed to provide them employment in the State,” he said.
He also alleged that 30 billionaires from outside have come to Odisha to loot the resources of the State.
He said Odisha has a huge population of tribals, but they along with Dalits are being neglected in the State by the BJD Government. “I have come here to listen to your ‘Maan ki baat’ for 6/7 hours and speak a little for 15 minutes”, Gandhi said.
He said the biggest problem in Odisha is unemployment as industries are not functioning properly.
Meanwhile, senior congress leaders including Jayram Ramesh, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Sarat Patnaik held a press conference in Rourkela. The leaders reiterated that Congress is the only alternative in Odisha as both BJP and BJD are two sides of the same coin.
Shri Ramesh said that public sector units like Steel Plants at Rourkela, Durgapur in West Bengal, Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Bokaro in Jharkhand, NALCO Aluminium factory, NTPC thermal power plant at Talcher in Odisha along with dams like Bhakra Nangal and Hirakud are milestones in the economic development of India.
All these PSUs were established by previous congress governments which are in danger now, the Congress Veteran said.
The veteran leader also claimed that if BJP comes for the third term, then Rourkela, NALCO will be sold off to private players by the BJP. He said the Congress party is the only party fighting against the ideology of BJP and RSS.
The BJD has been supporting all policies, bills and issues of BJP openly. “Even BJD MP friends privately say that they get direction from Bhubaneswar to support the BJP policies,” Shri Ramesh said, describing BJD and BJP as two sides of the same coin.
Earlier Shri Gandhi began his Bharat Joda Nyay Yatra in Odisha’s steel city by offering prayer at Vedvyas Shiv temple and started a 3.4-km-long padayatra from Uditnagar to Panposh Chhak here. Accompanied by AICC Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar and OPCC President Sarat Patnaik, the Congress leader mingled with the people.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Nauri Nayak refuted the allegation that BJD and BJP are together. He alleged that BJD and Congress are together and that’s why Congress leaders are joining the BJD.
Similarly, BJD Vice President and Senior Lawmaker leader Debi Prasad Mishra too said Rahul Gandhi’s statement is not based on truth and facts.
