Criticises Cong J&K stand, speculation rife that ex-CM may quit party
Amid growing speculation about him quitting the Congress and floating a new political outfit, Haryana former Chief Minister and senior party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday supported the Narendra Modi Government for scrapping Article 370 and lashed out at his own party over its stand on the issue.
“When the Government does something right I support them. Many of my colleagues had opposed the decision…My party has lost its way. It is not the same Congress it used to be. When it comes to issues of patriotism and self-respect, I will never compromise,” Bhupinder Hooda said at a political rally in his hometown Rohtak.
“I was born in a patriotic family, those who oppose (abrogation of Article 370), I want to tell them usulon par jahan aanch aaye, vahan takrana zaruri hai, jo zinda hai to zinda dikhna zaruri hai (It is necessary to clash when it comes to principles, whoever is alive must show it),” the two-time former Chief Minister said. Assembly elections
are to be held in Haryana in October
The veteran Congress leader said, “I support the decision to abrogate Article 370 but I want to tell the Haryana Government that it will have to give an account of its five years and don’t hide behind this decision.”
At the rally, Hooda announced a 25-member panel, comprising 12 MLAs owing allegiance to him, to decide the future of the party in the State. “Since the issue (to continue with the Congress or not) pertains to the future of people, I can’t take the decision alone,” he said.
The decision of the 25-member committee will be announced in Chandigarh within a week, he added.
The rally was a clear signal to the central Congress leadership to hand over the party’s reins in the State to Hooda or he would go his own way ahead of the Assembly polls.
For the last four years, the Hooda camp has been pressurising the party high command to replace Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar with Bhupinder Hooda as party president.
Speculation is rife that Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda, former MP, might quit the Congress after they said they were sidelined by the party high command.
In view of Vidhan Sabha polls, Hooda also announced various sops, including 75 percent reservation in jobs, for the people of Haryana.
“If we form the Government, we will bring a law like Andhra Pradesh, so that 75 per cent of jobs in the State are reserved for the people of Haryana,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Hooda’s aides Palwal MLA Karan Dalal, Jhajjar MLA Geeta Bhukkal, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee’s former president Phool Chand Mullana, Vidhan Sabha’s former speaker Raghubir Singh Kadian among others openly challenged the party high command from the stage to either declare Hooda as party president in Haryana or face consequences.
Notably, the Congress has been out of power in Haryana for five years, having lost to the BJP in October 2014 assembly polls amid factionalism and accusations of corruption against the government led by former Chief Minister Hooda.
While the assembly polls are just two months away, the Congress is yet to kick off its election campaign in the state.
