Odisha Cong criticises BJD for supporting BJP policies

The Congress on Saturday criticised the BJD in Odisha for supporting BJP's policies and blamed the ruling party for adopting double standards on the Citizenship Amendment Act and other issues. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik, speaking at the party's 134th foundation day programme, said BJD is supporting the BJP in its bid to distort the Constitution.

The regional party headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has openly supported the CAA, he said.

"While BJD MPs are supporting all the policies of BJP in the Parliament, the regional party is claiming to be fighting against the saffron party in Odisha," he said.

"Is it not double standard by BJD? The BJP has been attempting to distort Indian Constitution and BJD is supporting the saffron party's policies," the OPCC president said.

Other Congress leaders speaking at the programme accused Patnaik of double standards for supporting the BJP in Delhi and opposing the party in Odisha. The OPCC president said,

"The values of the Constitution are in danger these days. Our priority is to save our constitutional values and we will fight for it."

"We will not let the BJP's plans to succeed in making India a Hindu Rashtra. People of Odisha will also reject the polarization politics of BJP," Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray said.

The Odisha Congress leaders along with All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Rudra Raju and AICC spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh took out a 'Bharat Bachho, Sambidhan Bachho' rally from the party's state headquarters.

The AICC spokesman blamed the NDA government for price rise of essential commodities, decline in growth rate and rise in unemployment in the country.

"It is faulty economic policies of the Modi government for which the people are suffering. The cooking gas which was only Rs 416 during the UPA government in 2014 has now increased to Rs 740. Similarly, the price of pulses, sugar, edible oil, tea, potato, onion have also increased manifold," the Congress leader pointed out.

He said the rate of unemployment is now highest in 45 years, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the people to provide at least 2 crore jobs every year. Singh also sought to know how much black money has returned to India.

"The Prime Minister has put the people in trouble by implementing demonetization to check black money. Has he been successful in checking black money?" the Congress leader asked.

The Congress leader also said his party will continue to oppose the Centre's NRC, NPR and CAA.