Amid the escalated infighting in Haryana Congress party following an attack on him, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Tanwar on Wednesday pointed his finger towards former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleging that his supporters had attacked him on October 6 in the national Capital.
Alleging that October 6 party workers’ clash was a planned conspiracy to kill him, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar while talking to the mediapersons here said that all evidence is in public domain now and everybody knows about the culprits.
Referring to October 6 violent clash between his and Hooda’s supporters, Tanwar alleged that a personal security officer had deliberately attacked him on that day leading to spine and head injuries.
Showing photo and video proofs on his claims, Tanwar, a dalit leader said that all these proofs have been submitted to the high command.
However, without naming Hooda, he said that everybody knows who had attacked me and whose PSO was involved in the incident.
The clash which had also injured more than a dozen Congress workers had taken place during Congress’ vice president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bhairon temple to end his month-long Kisan Yatra.
The incident had also led to a division among the dalit leaders in the party unit with the MlAs belonging to the dalit community asking Tanwar not to make it an issue about caste. Dalit MlAs from the Congress, Geeta Bhukkal, Udai Bhan, Jaibir Balmiki and Shakuntala Khatak, and senior dalit leader Sudhir Chaudhary had alleged “anti-social” elements are trying to defame the party by making giving the incident a casteist colour.
About dalit MlAs from the Haryana Congress and other Hooda loyalists demanding his ouster from the top post, Tanwar said, “Somebody is trying to influence them to do so...As such, they don’t have any problem with my leadership.”
When questioned about factionalism in the state party unit, he refuted such reports.
When asked if action is not taken against the culprits in the entire incident, the state party chief said that he has faith in party high command and strict action would be taken against the culprits.
Notably, former Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is heading the one-man probe panel appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to look into the October 6 incident.
Shinde has already met a number of party leaders from Haryana, including supporters of both Tanwar and Hooda besides ClP leader Kiran Chowdhary. He also met party MlAs and the lone MP Deependra Singh Hooda.
Twelve Haryana Congress MlAs, owing allegiance to Hooda had also met Shinde and demanded removal of Tanwar from the top post to end the factionalism in the state party unit.
Hooda and Tanwar have been at loggerheads for a long time and the bickering had escalated after the Congress was voted out of power in the state with Tanwar holding Hooda directly responsible for the party’s drubbing.