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Bhawanipatna/Rourkela: All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi today reiterated that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is remote-controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the time has come to oust both and bring Congress to power. The AICC chief alleged that CM Naveen is working as per PM's instructions as the ruling-BJD leaders and ministers are involved in the multi-crore chit fund scam. He also alleged that some 'friends' of the PM have scammed the nation right under the nose of the NDA government.
Addressing a public gathering at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district, Rahul said that the Modi govt waived off Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of his 15 businessman 'friends' but only announced Rs 17 per day for farmers. The Congress will waive off farm loans and also increase the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2600 per quintal, Rahul said.
In another meeting in Rourkela, he again slammed Naveen and Modi governments and said that both of them have miserably failed to provide employment to Odisha youths. Odisha is not poor but its people are because of misgovernance of the BJD government in the last 18 years, he said.
He further accused both Naveen and Modi of muzzling tribal rights. "BJD and the BJP are taking away lands of the adivasis but the Congress party will ensure that the rights of tribals are restored," he added.
Responding to Rahul's promise of 'guaranteed minimum income,' BJD Spokesperson Debi Mishra said that such promises are normal when elections are round the corner. Daring Rahul, Mishra said that let him first implement these promises in the Congress-ruled States firsts. Mishra also rubbished the allegations of snatching land of adivasis and said that Odisha has pioneered protection and preservation of tribal rights.
Similarly, BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said that Rahul Gandhi's visit to the State will have no impact. "People have already accepted us as an alternative in Odisha. As the Congress party has lost credibility, its party leaders and MLAs are in a spree of joining the BJD; Congress has lost its impact and influence in the State," said Purohit.
