Balasore: Mounting a scathing attack on both BJD and BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the two political parties are working in partnership to loot the rich resources of Odisha.
Rahul urged people to vote for Congress if they want to save the constitution and safeguard the interest of the people of Odisha.
Addressing an election rally at Simulia in Balasore, the Congress leader said this is the first election where one side wants to destroy the constitution and the other wants to save it. “The Gathbandhan wants to save the Ambedkar ji’s constitution and the BJP says they will tear it apart. But we won’t let anyone destroy our constitution,” he said.
“BJP has filed 24 cases against me including defamation and criminal cases. They took away my parliament membership and gave me two years of jail term. The ED interrogated me for 50 hours and took away my house. I handed them the keys and said I don’t need this government house. I have crores of houses in India and the hearts of people of Odisha and different states,” Rahul said.
Coming down heavily on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he said if the BJD president does not work for the BJP in the state, why has he been not subjected to what I had to go through.
Rahul alleged that Naveen Patnaik works for BJP in the state and the BJD and BJP have forged a partnership to loot the rich resources of Odisha. ‘Narendra Modi is making people like Adani billionaires and here in Odisha, it’s not Patnaik but another ‘P’ Pandian who runs the government and making billionaires,’ he said.
He gave the example of Telangana and said in Odisha too Congress will form the government. “In Telangana, Congress broke the backbone of BRS and BJP. Now crores of rupees are being given out to people, women fearlessly travel and the government is working for the people and not billionaires. This is what we are going to do in Odisha. We will throw out the “paan” partnership between BJP and BJD,” he said.
Giving details of the Mahalaxmi Yojana that Congress has been guaranteeing to people, he said Congress will form the government on June 4 and on July 5 lakhs of women in Odisha will get Rs 8,500 in their bank accounts. The money will be transferred every month to their account and within a year they will get Rs 1 lakh.
Blaming Modi for loss incurred by low and middle-sized businesses due to demonitisation and GST, Gandhi said Congress will compensate them with direct cash transfer. “We will take money from Adani and Ambani and give it to you. You can buy phones, motorcycles with the money and that will help the closed industries of India open again. Youth of Odisha will get jobs in Made in Odisha factories,” he promised.
For the farmers, he said Congress will ensure minimum support prices and waive loans. “We will set up a Loan Waiver Industry which will alert the government when farmers are at a loss and are not in a position to pay back the loan amount. We will waive their loans,” he said.
“Agniveer will be thrown away and every jawan will get pension and canteen facilities. We will double the monthly incentive of ASHA and Anganwadi workers and MNREGA incentive will be raised Rs 400. All unemployed youth will be given one year of apprenticeship opportunity,” the Congress leader promised further.
Leaving no one behind, he even hit at media calling them Modi and Ambani-Adani’s “chamcha” and said Congress will not listen to you. “We will listen to farmers, unemployed youth, Dalits, Adivasis, the backward class. Modi ran a government of one per cent people for 10 years, we will run a government of 90 per cent people,” he said.
The Congress leader accused Modi of pretending to be working under the direction of God and hit at Sambit Patra for saying Jagannath ji is a Modi bhakt. “See the arrogance of BJP leaders,” he said and urged people to vote for Congress to save the constitution.
