Congress Slams BJP's First Year in Power in Odisha as ‘Year of Betrayal'
New Delhi: The Congress party launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, labelling its first year in power in Odisha as a "year of betrayal" marked by corruption, broken promises, and injustice toward marginalized communities—particularly the tribals.
At a press conference held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, senior Congress leaders accused the BJP-led state government of failing on multiple fronts. Addressing the media, Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, Congress Legislature Party leader Ram Chandra Kadam, and MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka presented a joint critique of what they described as the party's dismal governance record.
Bhakta Charan Das criticized the BJP's pre-election promises, particularly the assurance of 'zero tolerance for corruption.' He alleged that just one year into its tenure, corruption in the state had reached alarming levels.
'From ministers to bureaucrats, everyone seems to be neck-deep in corruption,' Das said, citing the recent arrest of a Chief Engineer in the Rural Development Department, who was found in possession of large amounts of cash and owned twelve properties. 'How can one individual accumulate such assets without systemic complicity?' he asked.
Das also accused the government of betraying farmers, claiming that many had either been denied procurement of their paddy or were being paid ₹250–₹300 less than the Minimum Support Price (MSP). 'This is nothing short of economic injustice,' he said.
One of the central themes of the Congress's criticism was the alleged marginalization of tribal communities, despite Odisha now having a tribal Chief Minister. Congress leaders expressed disappointment that instead of improving tribal welfare, the community had faced increased hardships under the BJP government.
'It's both ironic and tragic that under a tribal CM, the tribal population is the worst affected,' said Ram Chandra Kadam. 'They are being dispossessed of their land and deprived of justice.'
Ajay Kumar Lallu echoed this sentiment, highlighting the ongoing migration crisis in the state. 'People are being forced to migrate in search of jobs. The BJP's promises of development have turned out to be hollow,' he said, adding that the first year of BJP rule had brought 'no visible change' to the lives of common people.
Adding to the list of grievances, MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka accused the BJP government of trying to impose the three-language formula in Odisha, allegedly sidelining the Oriya language. He also claimed that pension and welfare schemes promised during the election campaign had either been abandoned or drastically reduced.
'The BJP government has undermined linguistic identity and failed to protect the welfare of the people it pledged to serve,' Ulaka said.
The Congress leadership vowed to continue exposing the failures of the BJP government and stand with farmers, tribals, and the underprivileged. 'The people of Odisha deserve better than this betrayal. We will not stay silent,' said Das, as the party hinted at organizing public outreach and protests in the coming months.
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