Bhubaneswar: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday mounted a scathing attack on Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing them of colluding to loot Odisha and oppress the poor people of the state.
Addressing ‘Odisha Bachao Samavesh’ organised by the party in Bhubaneswar, Kharge said in a lighter vein that BJP and BJD are locked in a ‘love marriage’, and the two political parties have been romancing for a long time with an aim to loot and ruin Odisha.
Coming down heavily on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Congress president said Biju Patnaik and Jawaharlal Nehru had a strong relationship and both worked for the development of the country and welfare of people.
“But the present Patnaik (Naveen Patnaik) has strong links with the BJP. There is a huge difference between Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik,” he said, adding that Biju Patnaik admired Nehru’s ideas, while Naveen has adopted BJP’s ideology, which is based on hatred.
Noting that Congress has conducted ‘marriage’ between BJP and BJD recently, Kharge said that the two parties have been romancing for a long time and they are locked in a love marriage.
While BJP and Naveen are only with rich people, Congress is always with the poor, he said.
While massive corruption amounting to crores of rupees took place in the form of mining scam in the state, people lost their hard-earned money to the over Rs 20,000 crore chit fund scandal for which both BJD and BJP were responsible, the Congress chief alleged.
Highlighting the contribution of Congress to the state, Kharde said Congress has given Paradip Port, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), Chilika Naval Academy, Mancheswar rail coach repair unit and ordnance factory to Odisha and sought to know as to what Naveen and Narendra Modi have given to the people of the state.
In a veiled attack on 5T and Nabin Odisha chairman V K Pandian, the Congress chief alleged that an officer is running the government in the state and the political leaders are becoming lifeless. “If Odisha has no leaders, should a leader from outside be brought? An officer from Tamil Nadu has become the advisor to the government,” he stated.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge accused him of destroying the democracy and undermining the Constitution. Because of threats, some people are leaving parties and parties are leaving alliance, he claimed.
“if Narendra Modi returns to power, the coming election will be the last, he will bring dictatorship after that. They will rule like Putin in Russia. This is the last chance to save democracy,” he claimed.
