INDIA Bloc To Hold Protests Against BJD, BJP In Odisha’s Rayagada, Balasore Next Month

The opposition bloc INDIA will hold demonstrations in Rayagada and Balaore next month to protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the BJD dispensation in the state for ''failing'' to fulfil promises they had made for the people of Odisha, a Congress leader said on Saturday. A meeting of all anti-BJD and anti-BJP parties was held here on Friday evening to decide on protest rallies, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said.

''The Naveen Patnaik government in the state and the Centre have failed to deliver on promises they have made for the people of Odisha.

"Both the BJD and the BJP have made false promises. We are going to hold 'Janakrosh' rallies at Rayagada and Balasore on November 8 and 15 respectively," Pattanayak told PTI. The OPCC president also said the opposition bloc INDIA would hold demonstrations in other parts of the state in the coming days.

He alleged that Odisha became ''a poor state'' under the BJD regime as the government ''failed'' to provide employment and ''lakhs of people migrated to other states in search of work''.

"The people of Odisha are struggling to get safe drinking water while there is a scarcity of doctors in hospitals and farmers are committing suicide," the Congress leader said. He also accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of ''failing'' to fulfil its promises to provide employment to the youth.

The Centre has also ''failed to control the price rise'', Pattanayak added.