Bhubaneswar, All India Congress President Rahul Gandhi today accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of adopting the “Gujrat model“ in running the government in Odisha.
Speaking at the “Town Hall” programme organized by the Odia daily ‘Samaj’ here, Mr Gandhi said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is running the government with the help of some big businessmen who fund marketing of the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister in Odisha, he said run the government with some key bureaucrats but ’I do not want bureaucratic dictatorship to run the government.’
‘’When we run a government we talk to the people but it is not the case with the BJP and BJD’’ the Congress Chief said.
Mr Gandhi said the people of Odisha are not involved in the process of governance and “My target is to take Odisha out of the one man bureaucratic regime.”
He also alleged that there is tacit understanding between Mr Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Mr Patnaik, he said, supports Mr Modi on various issues like GST, demonetization and in passing of different bills in Parliament because of his involvement in corruption.
Mr Gandhi described Mr Patnaik as “autocratic, undemocratic” and centralized the power but not hate filled as Mr Modi has.
Both Mr Modi and Mr Patnaik have no concern for the farmers. Mr Patnaik woke up and announced the scheme for farmers after Congress waived the crop loan in Chhattisgarh.He asked what was Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was doing for the last 15 years and suddenly woke up after the Congress government in Chhattisgarh waived the crop lean and provided bonus on and above the MSP for paddy.
Mr Gandhi said, earlier Congress for the last few years was not working as a team in Odisha. It was a serious problem for us. But since the new PCC and AICC teams have come in place, things have changed and the party is working unitedly.