Bhubaneswar: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Odisha, Congress on Wednesday mounted a scathing attack on him accusing him of trying to mislead the people by telling lies about his government’s contribution towards the state.
Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak, former PCC chief Prasad Harichandan and state party campaign committee chairman Bijay Patnaik made a blistering attack on Modi.
The senior Congress leaders also lashed out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and alleged that both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have been operating together and supporting each other in encouraging corruption in the state.
Stating that the state was hit by a series of scams, including chit fund and mining scandals, the PCC chief no action has so far been taken against those involved in corruption as the central investigating agencies have failed to take action.
Stating that CBI cases are pending against many bigwigs in the state, he said nothing is happening to them as the Centre is giving them protection. Both BJP and BJD are working as partners to ruin the state and exploit the people, he claimed.
“Modi government has been ruling the country for the last 10 years while his friend in Odisha for the last 24 years. However, what has happened to the chit fund and mining scams?” he asked.
Coming down heavily on Modi, Harichandan accused the PM of lying about BJP’s contribution in the setting up of the oil refinery at Paradip and said the project was initiated and completed only because of the previous Congress-led UPA government.
Even CM Naveen Patnaik is aware of the fact, but he was clapping when Modi made the false claim at the programme in Chandikhole in Jajpur district, said the former PCC chief.
Both Naveen and Modi know it well that the Paradip refinery project was initiated when P V Narasingha Rao was Prime Minister and it was completed in 2013 during Congress-led UPA government, he said, adding that funds for the project were allocated when Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister.
However, as the completed project could not be commissioned during UPA rule, Modi is trying to take full credit for it by giving false information to the people and Naveen is endorsing it despite being fully aware of truth, the Congress leaders said.
