Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda unleashed a blistering critique of the state BJP government following the arrest of Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib during a rally demanding MGNREGA revival. From Chandigarh, Hooda told reporters that jailing the youth leader for leading a legitimate demonstration is a blatant ploy to divert attention from policy flops.
‘Detaining the Youth Congress chief and sending him to four-day police remand screams BJP nervousness,’ Hooda remarked. He framed the action as part of a pattern of suppressing dissent, driven by those intoxicated by power. ‘The government fears accountability. Protesting peacefully is our right under the Constitution,’ he added firmly.
At the heart of the agitation was the abrupt halt to MGNREGA jobs in Haryana, a scheme vital for rural employment. Hooda revealed that nearly 8 lakh workers had registered under it since the BJP took office, only for the program to be axed recently. ‘This destroys Gandhi’s dream of Gram Swaraj,’ he charged, rallying Congress supporters who planned to besiege the assembly.
Rao Narendra Singh, state Congress chief, accused authorities of placing dedicated workers under house arrest en route to the protest site. ‘Suppressing peaceful assembly shows fear of the people’s voice. True democracy thrives on dialogue, not diktats,’ he declared. Vowing resilience, Singh affirmed, ‘We won’t stop or bend; the battle for people’s welfare rages on.’
This clash highlights escalating confrontations between opposition and the ruling dispensation, with implications for Haryana’s political landscape.