Bhubaneswar: The Congress in Odisha held a one-of-a-kind demonstration on Thursday, organising a "wedding" that had nothing to do with two persons but two political parties -- the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP in the state.
Maintaining that the two parties were in a "live-in relationship" for long, Congress workers organised the wedding of sorts at the busy Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar, with all the pomp and gaiety.
Amid drum beats and chanting of mantras, all rituals were performed by the Congress workers, who were wearing masks of leaders of the two parties, to solemnise the "marriage".
The Congress workers even distributed invitation cards for the ceremony. In the "BJP weds BJD" cards, PM Narendra Modi was mentioned as the groom's father and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as the bride's father.
"The BJD and the BJP have been in a live-in relationship for the past 23 years. So that they don't get a bad name in society, we have organised their wedding," Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said.
"They roam holding hands in Delhi's Lodhi Garden, and stage drama of political opponents in Odisha," he alleged.
Kumar, the Congress's in-charge of Odisha, said that the BJD has supported the BJP-led government whenever an "anti-people" bill was introduced in Parliament.
"The BJD supported the BJP in the land acquisition bill, which was later withdrawn, farm laws, demonetisation, GST, presidential polls and the Citizenship Amendment Bill, besides the candidature of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for Rajya Sabha polls," he said.
In return, no CBI or ED ever came to Odisha for any investigation, he alleged.
"The BJP has remained silent on the mining scam, chit-fund scam, cabinet minister Naba Kishore Das's murder, Mamita Meher murder case and the Mahanga triple murder case," Kumar claimed.
State Congress president Sarat Pattanayak alleged that the BJD and BJP together have made Odisha one of the poorest states in the country.
"People of the state will not tolerate them anymore, and they have turned to the Congress. Congress is the only alternative in Odisha," he claimed.
State BJP spokesperson Biranchi Tripathy said Congress's condition is very poor in the country, and in Odisha, it will vanish soon.
"So, they are doing such drama to prove their existence," he said.
Senior BJD leader Bhupindar Singh said people will not accept Congress, which does such kinds of demonstrations ahead of elections.
"Keeping the interest of the people of Odisha in mind, the BJD extended support to the Centre on various issues during both the UPA and NDA governments," he said.
"While the BJP alleges that BJD and Congress are together, the Congress is alleging that BJD and BJP are together. It means, our Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is getting stronger," he claimed.