Hitting out at the Manohar lal Khattar-led Haryana Government for rolling back some decisions of the previous regime, the State Congress party on Saturday said that it would launch a movement against the State Government for allegedly playing with the sentiments of the masses.
“It is a roll-back Government. Being in power for just a month, they have taken so many anti-people decisions that include recent ones to reduce age of the Government employees from 60 to 58 years and hike in value added tax (VAT) on diesel,” said the Congress legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhry, while addressing a Press conference after Haryana Pradesh Congress committee’s general body meeting.
Accompanied by Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, the former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, Choudhary said that they will raise voice against the “anti-people” decisions of the Khattar Government, both inside and outside the State Assembly.
“The decision to hike VAT on diesel is anti-farmer, anti-people and inflationary. This decision will have a cascading effect on the prices of farm inputs and essential commodities and will deal a twin blow on the farmers, who are already reeling under unremunerative crop prices,” she said.
Also hitting out at Khattar Government for having allegedly failed to aptly tackle the “godman” Rampal issue, she said: “Khattar Government’s inexperience showed in this incident. They have started to fail on all fronts.”
“In its poll manifesto, the BJP had promised to increase old age pension to Rs2,000 from Rs1,000 during Congress rule, but they played with sentiments of the people and adding insult to the injury, increased it only by Rs200 while stating that they will hike it to Rs2,000 in the fifth year. Why did the BJP not make this clear to the people earlier on,” she asked.
Choudhary, Tosham MlA, said that Congress respects the verdict of the people given by them in the October 15 Assembly polls and will play the role of a “constructive Opposition”.
“We will not be reduced to anyone’s ‘B’ team,” she said in a veiled attack on main Opposition INlD. Replying to a question, she did not agree that Congress’ State unit was faction ridden.
When her attention was drawn to former minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav for not being able to complete his address at Saturday’s meeting as some Congress workers allegedly created ruckus, Choudhary evaded a direct reply, saying that her party was like a big family in which everyone is entitled to put across his view point.
“We are prepared to launch a movement against this Government, which is stabbing the people in its back and playing with their sentiments,” Tanwar said.