No ‘lehar’, only ‘zehar’ in PM’s language: Ramesh

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday claimed that there is no ‘lehar’ (wave) in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but only ‘zehar’ (poison) in his language.

Addressing a press conference here, Jairam said that the language of the “outgoing” prime minister indicates he is “tensed and confused”. “He (PM) has realised that farmers, youth, labourers, women and backward classes are upset with him. That’s why he talks about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim League, black money given to Congress in tempos and ‘mangalsutra’. “This indicates that time has arrived for a change,” Ramesh claimed.

In the past four phases of elections held in 379 Lok Sabha seats, it was clear that BJP became ‘saaf’ (finish) in south India and ‘half’ in north, west and east, he said, adding that INDIA bloc will get a majority in this election. The Congress is fighting this election to save the Constitution and democracy as ‘dhantantra’ (capitalism) is prevailing in the country, he said.

Stating that BJD and BJP are two sides of the same coin, the senior Congress leader alleged they are engaged in a “fake fight” in the ongoing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. The BJD MPs supported “anti-farmer, anti-tribal and anti-environment” Bills in both houses of Parliament and even the ruling party in Odisha elected BJP nominee Ashwini Vaishnaw in Rajya Sabha polls, he said.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he said, “Did you not extend 100 per cent support to the BJP in Delhi? Is it not true that the BJD supported the weakening of the Forest Rights Act, amendment in the Forest Conservation Act, Land Acquisition Act, and the Labour Code?” Advocating for a caste-based census, Ramesh said the exercise is necessary to give proper reservation to the SC, ST and

backward communities.