Rahul Gandhi, implying that the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday claimed that the Congress will uproot the BJD-BJP partnership in Odisha as it did in Telangana, “where the Bharat Rashtra Samithi was working for the BJP”.
Addressing a public meeting in Balasore Lok Sabha constituency on the last day of campaigning, Gandhi accused the BJP of lodging 24 cases against him, getting him sentenced to jail in a defamation case, taking away his Lok Sabha membership, government quarter and getting him interrogated by ED for 50 hours.
“But why have no cases been filed against (CM) Naveen Patnaik, who is claiming to be fighting the BJP? There has been no interrogation, no raids because Naveen Patnaik works for the BJP. These two (BJD and BJP) are one, and the aim of the partnership is to steal the wealth of the people of Odisha, the mines and make billions from it,” Gandhi alleged.
In Telangana, Gandhi said, there was a partnership between the BRS and BJP.
“Its chief minister used to work for the BJP. There was pressure, there was fear, and the entire work was done by the chief minister for the BJP. The Congress party stood up and fought the BJP and BRS, breaking the backbone of both in Telangana. Today, there is no government of billionaires in Telangana. Today, there is a government of people in Telangana. Crores of rupees are given to the poor and women travel in the bus for free. The government is working for the people, listening to the voice of the people, that is what we are going to do in Odisha. We don’t want a government of billionaires, we want a government of the people of Odisha and our goal is to destroy the partnership of Naveen babu and Narendra Modi,” the Wayanad MP said.
{{/usCountry}}“Its chief minister used to work for the BJP. There was pressure, there was fear, and the entire work was done by the chief minister for the BJP. The Congress party stood up and fought the BJP and BRS, breaking the backbone of both in Telangana. Today, there is no government of billionaires in Telangana. Today, there is a government of people in Telangana. Crores of rupees are given to the poor and women travel in the bus for free. The government is working for the people, listening to the voice of the people, that is what we are going to do in Odisha. We don’t want a government of billionaires, we want a government of the people of Odisha and our goal is to destroy the partnership of Naveen babu and Narendra Modi,” the Wayanad MP said.
{{/usCountry}}Reiterating his claims that the BJP wants to abolish the Constitution, Gandhi said that “while the INDI Alliance wants to save the Constitution of India at any cost, the BJP and RSS want to destroy Ambedkar’s Constitution”.
“I want to tell them that no power can destroy the Indian Constitution. You (BJP) can use all forces, but can’t touch the Constitution,” he said.
Gandhi also said that once elected to power, the INDI Alliance government will throw the Agniveer defence scheme into the dustbin. “We don’t need two types of martyrs. Each jawan should get pension, canteen facility, proper training, and martyr status in defence service,” he said.