BJD harassing us when PM needs support; BJP-Odisha govt running partnership: Rahul Gandhi
ROURKELA: Congress MP and former AICC president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJD government in Odisha during the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Rourkela on Wednesday.
Addressing people at Panposh Gandhi Square here, the Congress leader alleged that the BJP and BJD has a "partnership" in Odisha.
“I have seen in the parliament when Narendra Modi needs support, he talks to Naveen Patnaik and the BJD starts harassing us. Only the Congress is fighting against the partnership government of BJD and BJP in the state," Rahul said.
Gandhi claimed that it is the Congress party alone which has been opposing the BJD-BJP combine for the people of Odisha.
Gandhi said: "I have come to Odisha to open a shop of love in the market of hatred. ('Nafrat ki bazaar me mohabbat ki dukan khulne aaya hu')".
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 "was not working for them".
"While 30 lakh people have migrated to other states for their livelihood, 30 crorepati from outside Odisha have come here to loot the state's wealth," Gandhi said.
“The biggest issue is the closure of all industries in Odisha. The country is facing worst ever unemployment crisis after 40 years and Odisha leads the states in unemployment. Tribals, dalit and backward people in the state are getting oppressed and tortured. We have come to listen to them," he said.
He said Odisha has a huge population of tribals, but they along with Dalits are being "neglected" in the state by the 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.
Before the public address, Gandhi visited and worshipped at the Vedvyas temple and also briefly interacted with the inmates of the Gurukul Vedic Ashram and Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya on the outskirts of Rourkela city.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, AICC state in-charge Ajoy Kumar, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik, Congress leader Bijay Patnaik and NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar accompanied Gandhi.
Gandhi is scheduled to take a lunch break at Bisra Munda Ground at Ranibandh and attend two more gatherings at Kutra and Baragaon later in the afternoon.
Thereafter, he will resume his yatra from Ranibandh and address a rally at Rajgangpur. He will undertake another 1-km padayatra in Sundargarh town from Bus Stand Chhak Sundargarh via Stadium Chhak to SBI Chhak, following which he will address another public meeting, before retiring for the night at Amlipali Ground in Jharsuguda.
(With inputs from PTI)