Odisha: Rahul says Patnaik being “remote-controlled” by Modi; offers farm loan waivers

Mounting a two-way attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that both the leaders were partners-in-crime, with the Odisha CM being “remote-controlled” by Modi.

“Chowkidar to chor hai...magar yaha Odisha me bhi chori ho rahi hai...aur yaha jo chit fund scam hua hai uski wajah se Odisha ka remote control Hindustan ke ek bhrasht chowkidaar ke haath mein hai (Chowkidar is a thief but a theft is being committed in Odisha also. Due to chit fund scam, control of the state has gone to a corrupt Chowkidar),” Rahul said during his address at a rally in state capital Bhubaneswar.

Terming Patnaik as “junior partner” of Modi, Rahul said both the leaders were marketing their so-called achievements through bigshot industrialists.

The Congress President also promised a farm loan waiver within 10 days of a Congress government coming to power in the state. Assembly elections in Odisha are scheduled to be held along side the general elections.

Rahul cited examples of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where Congress party formed its governments and came good on the pledge of loan waiver well before the 10-day time-period it had promised in its manifestos.

''I want to tell farmers of Odisha that only 2-3 months are left. As soon as a Congress government is formed here, we will waive off loans of Odisha’s farmers,” he told the rally.

''We listen to the people, unlike Mr Narendra Modi, who thinks he knows everything. There is no scope of feedback. This is the basic difference between us and the BJP,'' said Rahul.

Referring to the flip-flop position taken by Odisha CM over demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Rahul said, “Initially Patnaik thought that demonetisation was bad as it destroyed the economy and SMEs. But when Chowkidar pressed the button, Patnaik changed his stance.”

Earlier in the day, he attacked both Modi and Patnaik for not taking questions from the public.

"I am here in Odisha, talking to you, because I want to know from you how to make things better for you. Modi ji does not think like that. Your chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, does not think like that. But I do. I can take questions. I can also answer them," Rahul said, while addressing a Twitter townhall in the state capital.

“We listen to the people, unlike Mr Narendra Modi, who thinks he knows everything. There is no scope of feedback. This is the basic difference between us and the BJP,” he added.

(with PTI inputs)