Bhubaneswar: Odisha Congress on Friday announced its plan to observe ‘Samvidhan Banchao Divas’ (Save Constitution Day) on April 28 in Bhubaneswar to make people aware of the rights of other backward classes (OBC).
Similarly, the party announced a statewide campaign, comprising rallies and outreach programs till May 30, aimed at advocating for social, political, and economic justice.
This was announced at a press meet addressed by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, party’s state in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leaders in Bhubaneswar.
While a state-level rally will be held in Bhubaneswar on April 28, there will be district-level rallies from May 3 to 10. The campaign will then extend to assembly constituencies between May 11 and 17, concluding with door-to-door outreach from May 20 to 30.
Lashing out at the BJP-led central government, Das and Lallu accused it of undermining the Constitution and diverting public attention by targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in what he called a “fabricated” National Herald case.
They emphasised Rahul Gandhi’s push for a caste census to protect the rights of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Highlighting disparities, the Congress leaders said that despite Odisha’s OBC population constituting 54%, they receive only 11.25% reservation in government jobs and no reservation in education. He criticized Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an OBC from Odisha, for failing to address this issue.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, who was also present, accused the BJP state government of neglecting to implement the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996, depriving tribal communities of their rights.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness about perceived threats to constitutional values under the current central government, rallying support for equitable policies and justice.
