Congress mounts attack on BJP ahead of PM Modi's Odisha visit

Bhubaneswar: The Congress today observed the fourth anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government as ‘Vishwasghat Divas’ or ‘Betrayal Day’ to highlight the alleged failures of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who arrived in Odisha today, termed the Modi government 'fascist and corrupt'.

Lashing out at the Modi government, Sibal said that the BJP is destroying the country and Modi has betrayed the people.

"When Modi had visited Odisha in 2014, he made tall claims and said the eastern Indian states would be on BJP's focus. But in reality no central schemes were properly implemented in those regions. What has Modiji done for Odisha in the last four years? The State didn't get any special packages in all these years and adding to the woes the backward region development plan was also scrapped."

On Modi's scheduled arrival to the venue of public meeting in Cuttack district through helicopter, Sibal said that Modi is aware of the growing resentment among the people and for this reason he decided to avoid the road route.

The Congress leader also targeted the ruling BJD government in Odisha. "I want to ask the Chief Minister of this State that why is he supporting the BJP; and he has been supporting them since long," he alleged.

The senior Congress leader also stated that the BJD is raking up the Mahanadi issue now as election is on the cards. But the people of Odisha know that CM Naveen Patnaik's government has failed to provide jobs and even drinking water facilities.

Responding to Sibal's comment, Odisha BJP's spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said: "The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1.78 lakh  crore to ensure that all the schemes in Odisha are implemented properly. Kapil Sibal is lying and his allegations are baseless."

On the other hand, activists of Odisha Congress today burnt effigy of PM Modi and other BJP leaders in Bhubaneswar.