Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress today took a dig at the ruling BJD government claiming that the party is a 'B-Team' of the Congress.
Speaking to media after attending a felicitation programme in Jharsuguda, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary for Odisha Shaikh Mastan Vali said, "Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is a B-Team of Congress since it had deviated from the latter. Congress will come to power in Odisha very soon."
He also attacked the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government at the Centre for corruption and failure in implementation of various welfare schemes.
Vali said, "Modi had won sympathy votes by publicising himself as a tea vendor and claiming himself as a servant of the country. He is only hoodwinking people, nothing else. People are calling him a fraudster, not a servant of the country."
Besides, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, working president Naba Das and Hemanand Biswal also slammed both the BJP and BJD government over various issues.
Dismissing the claims, leaders of BJD and BJP launched counter attacks on Congress for Vali's statements.
BJD senior leader Kishore Mohanty said, "BJD is a regional party that has been serving the people of Odisha for years. People still have faith on the party led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. BJD has never been a B-Team. Those who are giving such statements might be the members of some B-team parties."
Similarly, BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit slammed Congress and said the party has no rights to call Prime Minister Narendra Modi a fraudster.
"The party which had looted crores of rupees from the people of the nation during its leadership for over 50 years in the past has no rights to call Modi a fraudster. People will decide it, not a mere Secretary of the AICC," Purohit said.