Backing the beleaguered Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar, the BJP on Saturday ruled out his removal. It also defended the Khattar dispensation for not using force against the Dera Sacha Sauda supporters before their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s appearance in court saying in such an eventuality the violence would have been worse and the self-styled godman would not have presented himself before court.
“There is no such consideration,” BJP general secretary Anil Jain, the party in-charge for Haryana affairs, told reporters when asked if the party was considering the removal of Khattar.
“The priority of the Government was to ensure that the court’s order (ensuring Singh’s presence) is executed. This ‘baba’ has huge following and getting him to court peacefully and then sending him to jail after his conviction was a big task which it did.
“He has the most fanatic followers and violence could have been worse if the Government had used force before Singh arrived in the court. It might have resulted in the Dera chief not presenting himself before court. We did not want any confrontation before he arrived in the court,” he said even as he blamed the “circumstances and the unruly mob” for the violence.
The Opposition has been demanding the sacking of Khattar for his failure in preventing the widespread violence by the Dera chief supporters. The Haryana Chief Minister has also come under severe criticism from the Punjab and Haryana High Court for his Government’s inaction that led to thousands of Singh’s followers congregating in Panchkula in anticipation of the court verdict on Friday and resorting to violence following the Dera chief’s conviction in a 15-year-old rape case.
However, while Jain said the death of people and damage to property were unfortunate he claimed that the Government controlled the situation within three hours with “minimum possible damage” and that the over 30 people killed in the violence were members of the “unruly mob” which defied law and order.
Khattar had also been at the receiving end for not being able to prevent the massive violence by the Jats demanding reservation last year. But BJP sources said the party doesn’t believe in removing someone without hearing from him.