Expelled Congress leader Srikant Jena threatens to expose Rahul Gandhi, says he has 'surrendered Odisha to Patnaik family'

Bhubaneswar: Srikant Jena, who was recently expelled from the primary membership of the Congress, has accused party president Rahul Gandhi of surrendering himself before the Patnaik family and mining mafias in Odisha.

Jena has also claimed that he would expose the Gandhi scion to such an extent that the latter would “not be able to show his face in public”.

“I am glad that I am relieved from the responsibility of remaining in the Congress party. I had written many letters to Rahul Gandhi asking whether he will stand with Patnaik brothers and mining mafias or with the people of Odisha,” Jena told a press conference. The Patnaik brothers ostensibly refer to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his brother, Prem.

Annoyed over his expulsion from the Congress, Jena said, “Rahul Gandhi chose to stand with mining mafias and Patnaik brothers. This is not expulsion, I had already written a letter requesting him to accept my proposition or else relieve me from the party. I wanted to expose him but he has exposed himself.”

This came after Jena, along with former Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, was expelled from the primary membership of the Congress for alleged “anti-party activities” by the Odisha unit of the Congress, following recommendations from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Jena has also claimed that Rahul had also decided that the governance of Odisha should remain with the Patnaik family.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress president, Jena warned: “I will campaign everywhere and I will expose their secrets. This is just the beginning. On 25 January, I will give certain facts. The full country will know what Rahul Gandhi is and what he is protecting.”