Orissa has lost its sanctity and peace, says Rahul Gandhi

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Sib Kumar Das

BALIGUDA (KANDHAMAL): All-India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday projected communal harmony as a major electoral plank of the party during his campaign trip to Kandhamal district of Orissa.

At a public meeting at Baliguda, a communally volatile area, Mr. Gandhi blamed both the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the plight of Kandhamal.

“Orissa, which was famous for its peace, could not achieve any development during the BJD-BJP rule. It lost its sanctity and peace instead.” Religious tussle only led to over-exploitation of the downtrodden.

Ironically, Mr. Gandhi was addressing the public meeting at the Baliguda mini stadium, the very spot from where BJP president Rajnath Singh declared a week ago that the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati would be the main issue of the party in the district.

Mr. Gandhi said development occurred only when people of all sections, including Dalits and tribals, marched ahead in the path of development.

Communal tussle

He was hinting at the communal tussle in Kandhamal district, which has made the tribals and Dalits warring groups.

Most of the Dalits are Christians in this region.

Mr. Gandhi alleged that the Dalits and tribals could not benefit much from Central projects as the BJD-BJP government did not allow percolation of the pro-poor schemes to the really needy. He urged the people of Kandhamal to bring back the Congress to power.

Earlier, Mr. Gandhi arrived here by a helicopter from Bolangir, where he stayed for the night during his two-day campaign in Orissa. He was accompanied by Pradesh Congress Committee president K.P. Singh Deo.

The large crowd applauded when Mr. Gandhi said that during his visit throughout the country he had never come across poverty as seen in Orissa under the BJD-BJP rule. He promised the gathering that if the Congress came to power in Orissa, with the formation of a UPA government at the Centre, there would be many more efforts for the development of Dalits and tribals.