Under fire from the ruling BJP as well as Opposition INlD for staying away from the recently concluded Budget Session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Haryana Congress in an apparent image makeover exercise, has begun ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’ in the State.
The State unit of Congress has initiated its ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’ from Faridabad on Wednesday and would cover Palwal, Gurgaon, Mewat, Rewari, Mahendragarh and Jhajjar districts before culminating it on April 10 in Rohtak.
The Congress’ decision to carry out ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’ comes close on the heels of BJP organising such programmes in various parts of the State and also holding Congress responsible for inciting February’s Jat reservation stir and failing to resolve SYl issue.
Already struggling with infighting, Haryana Congress seeks to connect with the people besides responding to the allegations of BJP and INlD on SYl and Jat quota stir during party’s ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’.
Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar has already made it clear that the Sadbhavana Yatra will focus on apprising people about the truth behind SYl issue and also, spreading the message of peace and harmony among people after violent Jat quota stir.
Amidst the political hullabaloo over SYl canal, the issue has come handy for the Congress. The SYl issue has sparked a row between political parties and neighbouring Government of Punjab, Haryana and even Delhi.
Kiran Chaudhary, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party (ClP) on Wednesday questioned Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who is Punjab’s officiating Governor for making separate statements in Punjab and Haryana Assembly on SYl issue.
She also blamed the BJP led Central Government as well as Haryana Government for failing to resolve the SYl issue and befooling the people by putting the blame on Congress.
On the other hand, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar criticised the neighbouring Punjab Government for passing Punjab Satluj Yamuna link Canal land (Transfer of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2016, which aimed to de-notify the land acquired for construction of SYl canal.
Even as the party has pitched up the ante against the ruling BJP for failing to resolve long pending SYl issue, the divided faction of State Congress continues to face serious charges by BJP and INlD after the surfacing of audio recording of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s aid Prof Virender, in which he allegedly incited violence during the Jat quota stir.
The audio recording has done some serious damage to Congress’ image as it done to BJP led Haryana Government, which faced severe criticism for failing to control violence during the Jat agitation.
Meanwhile, the disharmony between the Congress factions led by Ashok Tanwar and Bhupinder Singh Hooda is also evident as these two warring camps of Haryana Congress are working separately to organise Sadbhavna programmes and muster people’s support.
While the Hooda camp organised a ‘Sadbhavna Rally’ in Hisar’s Balsamand village on April 3, the group led by Tanwar and ClP leader Kiran Choudhry began ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’ from Faridabad on Wednesday.
Both BJP and INlD had accused Hooda of being involved in inciting violence during Jat stir that killed 30 people and left 320 injured in the state. The former Chief Minister had however denied the charges leveled against him and blamed BJP and INlD for the violence incidents.
Notably, Haryana Congress stuck to its guns that it would attend the Assembly proceedings during the Budget session even as the party was severely criticised and also blamed by both BJP and INlD for deliberately not attending the State Assembly when issues like Jat quota stir and Sutlej Yamuna link canal were discussed.
The Congress kept away from the entire session protesting against the six months’ suspension handed down to its three legislators for tearing the copies of Governor’s address.
Not only on SYl issue and Jat stir, the Congress was blamed in Haryana Assembly for almost everything including failing to attract industries, assist farmers, debt-ridden Power discoms, unemployment among other during their ten years tenure in Haryana.