Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Congress announced on Friday a statewide ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ (Save the Constitution) campaign, comprising rallies and outreach programs from April 28 to May 30, aimed at advocating for social, political, and economic justice.
State Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, addressing a press conference, outlined the campaign’s schedule. A state-level rally will kick off in Bhubaneswar on April 28, followed by district-level rallies from May 3 to 10. The campaign will then extend to assembly constituencies between May 11 and 17, concluding with door-to-door outreach from May 20 to 30.
Lallu accused the BJP-led central government of undermining the Constitution and diverting public attention by targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in what he called a “fabricated” National Herald case. He emphasized Rahul Gandhi’s push for a caste census to protect the rights of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Highlighting disparities, Lallu noted that despite Odisha’s OBC population constituting 54%, they receive only 11.25% reservation in government jobs and no reservation in education. He criticized Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an OBC from Odisha, for failing to address this issue.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, also present, accused the BJP state government of neglecting to implement the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996, depriving tribal communities of their rights.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness about perceived threats to constitutional values under the current central government, rallying support for equitable policies and justice.
