People's Democracy

ORISSA

BJD, NCP, Left Organise a huge rally in Bhubaneswar

ADDRESSING a mammoth Vijay Abhijan rally convened by the Biju Janata Dal, CPI(M), CPI, forward Block and the NCP, on April 3, 2009 in Bhubaneswar, Prakash Karat, general secretary of CPI(M) said that the Orissa�s BJD led new front�s decision to unitedly fight the ensuing Orissa assembly and the Lok Sabha polls is historic and has an impact on the whole of the country because it reflected the people�s aspiration to defeat both Congress and the communal BJP and elect a non Congress, secular and pro-people alternative government at the centre.

Lambasting the UPA government�s five years of misrule, Prakash said that though the government claims credit for fastest economic growth, the benefits are cornered by a miniscule few. As a result, rich have become super rich while vast masses are drowned in misery. Due to global economic crisis, more than 10 lakhs have lost their jobs including Oriya workers who were engaged in gems, jewellery industry in Surat and this will rise further if Congresses policies are allowed to continue, he said.

Ridiculing the Congress manifesto, Prakash said when many states like Orissa are already giving rice at Rs 2 per kilogram to the BPL people, the Congress promise of giving rice at Rs 3 per kilogram shows how detached they are from the masses.

He said that the people of Orissa can never forget the 15 years of misrule of Congress state government, nor can they forget the discrimination meted out by the central governments led by the Congress and the BJP such as non revision of royalties on minerals and non devolution of financial and other powers to the state. The BJD � NCP � Left alliance will continue its fight against such attack on federal structure of our country, Prakash said. He also sharply criticised the Congress led UPA government policies which undermine our sovereignty and independent foreign policy and called upon the people to defeat Congress and BJP, to ensure peace and development.

Exhorting the cadres and the leaders to carry this message to the nook and corner of the state, Naveen said that we have to unitedly fight against center�s discrimination in the matter of royality, railways and even in getting relief during natural calamities. We have to unitedly fight to remove poverty and backwardness, he said.

Coming down heavily on the Congress which ruled for long years both at the centre and the state, Naveen said that the return of Congress means return of goondaraj and corruption. He said that people of Orissa are peace loving and BJP and its associates wanted to destroy this and wanted to use the government for this. And when they were stopped, they quit.

Naveen Patnaik called upon the people to defeat the Congress which is anti-development and the BJP which is anti-peace and against unity.

Commenting on the fast changing national scenario, he said that when both the UPA and the NDA are weakening and the regional parties are emerging strong and playing an important role, Orissa should contribute its might to this effort. Highlighting his government�s pro-people measures like Rs 2 per kilogram of rice, shelter for people, Madhu Babu pension plan, Mission Shakti for women�s empowerment, land rights and jobs for tribals, building over 1000 tribal girl�s hostels benefiting over one lakh girls and Biju KBK yojana, he called upon the masses to elect BJD, CPI(M), CPI and NCP candidates for forming an efficient, transparent and pro-people government in Orissa.

The rally was unprecedented not only because of its vast number and wide representation from all corners and sections of the state but also because of the fact that it was held from 11am to 1 pm under the scorching sun which the people, young and old, men and women braved displaying their commitment.

The rally was also addressed by A B Bardhan and D Raja (CPI), D P Tripathy (NCP), West Bengal minister Naren Dey (FB), Prasanna Patsani, MP and Damodar Rout, Orissa minister and general secretary of BJD. NCP president and union minister for Agriculture, Sharad Pawar who was scheduled to attend the meeting but could not do so due to technical problem in his flight, addressed the meeting on phone and called upon the people to defeat both Congress and BJP and ensure victory of BJD-NCP-CPI(M) and CPI candidates.