Rayagada, (Orissa Today), May 3: During the ‘Nyaya Rally’ held virtually in Rayagada, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi articulated his party’s vision for Odisha. Although originally slated to speak at the event in person, he was unable to do so due to obligations in filing nomination papers in Raebareli.
In his address, Gandhi emphasized the ongoing assaults on democracy and the Constitution, alleging that the Congress party and the India Alliance are endeavoring to safeguard these foundational principles against perceived threats from Prime Minister Modi, the BJP, and RSS. He accused them of seeking to uproot the Constitution and undermine democracy. Gandhi asserted that the Constitution has been pivotal in granting rights to marginalized sections such as farmers, deprived communities, backward classes, Adivasis, and Dalits, suggesting that attempts to dismantle it jeopardize these hard-won entitlements.
Furthermore, he pledged the Congress’s commitment to channel resources equivalent to those allocated to the privileged towards supporting marginalized groups, farmers, Dalits, and Adivasis in Odisha and across the nation.
Gandhi also condemned the BJP’s treatment of Adivasis, labeling it as derogatory, and advocated for the protection of their rights and ancestral lands. He decried the vast economic disparities in the country, citing the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and accusing the Modi government of favoring cronies like Adani over the nation’s welfare.
The rally saw participation from notable Congress figures such as Odisha PCC chief Sarat Pattanayak, Ajoy Kumar, Bhakta Charan Das, Ram Chandra Khuntia, Taraprasad Bahinipati, and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, who echoed Gandhi’s sentiments.
