Former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said that sitting MP Kumari Sejla is a respected leader of Congress party and those party leaders and workers, who comment against her, have no place in the party.

In response to a question about Kumari Selja, Hooda said, “She is our sister and a respected leader of the Congress party. If any Congress leader or worker makes a wrong comment about her, they have nothing to do with the Congress,” he said.

Talking to reporters in Rohtak, Hooda said, “This is only a part of political propaganda, and people are not going to get divided on the basis of caste. All communities are going to unite and form the Congress government. Only one slogan is echoing in the whole of Haryana- Jaat Par Na Paat Par, Button Dabega Haath Par.”

On the question of BJP supporting HLP candidate Gopal Kanda from Sirsa, Hooda said that the people of the state already knew this. “INLD-HLP, which earlier had an indirect alliance with BJP, has now become public,” he said.

“In Haryana, the direct contest is between Congress and BJP. All the parties like INLD, JJP, HLP have been fielded only to cut the votes of Congress. BJP has also given this responsibility to many independents. The public needs to be cautious of such candidates,” he added.

Hooda said that BJP is also spreading propaganda about ending reservation, whereas BJP ended reservation in the recruitment of Kaushal Nigam in Haryana. BJP has also snatched reservation by reducing the limit of creamy layer of OBC from 8 to 6 lakh. Congress implemented the Constitution and reservation in the country and only Congress will protect it. Whereas BJP's policies have always been against the constitution and reservation,” he stated.

“BJP's intention was made public in the Lok Sabha elections as well, as the BJP was demanding 400 seats only to change the constitution and end reservation. When BJP's truth was exposed in front of the country, it was running a shop of lies against Congress, as it has neither any work to show, nor any achievement to take before the people,” he pointed out.

Ahead of the Assembly election the senior BJP leader and former MLA from Beri, Om Prakash Kadian and his son Vikram Kadian joined Congress on Monday. Vikram Kadian has contested elections from Beri twice on BJP ticket. BJP Mahila Morcha's state general secretary Gayatri Devi also joined Congress, along with many Sarpanchs, Block Committee Chairmen, many BJP officials and hundreds of workers also joined Congress. On the occasion, Hooda welcomed them by putting a Congress sash and assured them that they will be given full respect in the party.