Odisha Congress Chief accuses BJD govt of being "immersed in corruption"
Dec 20, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 20 : Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Patnaik on Wednesday accused the Naveen Patnaik-led government of being "immersed in corruption" and alleged that the government has not been able to fulfil the dreams of the people of the state.
"Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's BJD government has pushed Odisha backwards. The BJD government is immersed in corruption. They haven't been able to fulfil the dreams of the people of Odisha," Sarat Patnaik told ANI here after he met with the Congress central leadership.
"We had discussions on how Congress will achieve success in the 2024 elections," Sarat Patnaik said.
A day after the fourth meeting of the Opposition's INDIA bloc concluded in the national capital, the General Body Meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party was held here on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the Central Hall of Sanvidhan Sadan, Parliament House.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack while addressing the meeting on the BJP-led Centre over the bulk suspension of Opposition members from both Houses of Parliament, saying democracy has been strangled by the government.
A total of 141 MPs -- 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha -- were suspended over two raising a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses over demand from Union Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident.
"Democracy has been strangulated by this government. Never before have so many Opposition Members of Parliament been suspended from the house, and that too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand," Sonia Gandhi said.
"All that the opposition Members of Parliament asked for was a statement to be made by the Home Minister in the Lok Sabha addressing the extraordinary events of December 13. There are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated," she added.
The party chairperson said the incident on December 13 could be justified.
Hitting out at the ruling BJP, she said, "What happened on December 13 is inexcusable and cannot be justified. It took four days for the Prime Minister to address the nation and express his views on the incident, and he did so outside of the Parliament. By so doing, he clearly indicated his disdain for the dignity of the house and his disregard for the people of our country. I leave it to you to imagine how the BJP would have responded had they been in opposition today."
