Bhubaneswar, May 14 (UNI) Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday questioned why the CBI and ED are not coming to Odisha, where there have been multiple scams, including mining and land scams, during the last 24 years of BJD rule.
Addressing newsmen here, Ramesh said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are playing a “fake boxing match” during election time.
Describing the BJD and BJP as two sides of the same coin and in “relations” with each other, Ramesh said the Prime Minister is lying about his party’s relationship with the BJD.
In the last 10 years, BJD MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have bailed out the Modi government on every contentious bill, including the no-confidence bill.
The BJP, in return, has spared the BJD from all bullying and intimidation, he said, adding that there has been no onslaught of ED and CBI raids.
The Congress General Secretary said the BJP is on a downward trajectory and predicted that in the four phases of the election which concluded on Monday, the INDIA bloc has attained the majority of seats.
Regarding the ongoing Lok Sabha poll, he said, “South Mein Saaf; North, West, and East Mein Half,” and claimed that the INDIA bloc is going to form the government at the Centre after the seven phases of election is over.
Stating that there is no difference between the BJD and BJP, the Congress leader posed three questions to Naveen Patnaik:
Will the BJD support the BJP in a post-poll scenario?
Did you support the anti-farmer and anti-adivasi bills in Parliament or not?
Will you support the Hissedari Nyay, Congress Party’s social, economic, and caste census?
He wanted to know from the Odisha Chief Minister whether he would support the removal of the 50 percent cap on SC, ST, and OBC reservations through a constitutional amendment and a special budget for SC and ST equal to their share of the population.
Ramesh said that the Prime Minister is hoodwinking the people in the name of Hindu-Muslim sentiment, using Manhal Sutras.
He accused the Prime Minister of resorting to naked fear-mongering and polarization in the aftermath of Phase I of voting.
“It’s no longer an undercurrent – a wave is brewing in favour of the INDIA coalition,” the Senior Congress leader said, accusing the BJP of diluting the Forest Rights Act passed by the UPA Government.
The new act, he said, undermines the Forest Rights Act of 2006, doing away with provisions for the consent of local communities and other statutory requirements for forest clearance in vast areas.
Ramesh said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge will come to Bolangir on May 15 and May 16 to address election meetings.
On May 16, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge will address the press in Bhubaneswar.
