Haryana Government would conduct an inquiry into the audio tape of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s political adviser, Professor Virender, where he was caught saying the protest was doing well in their area while nothing much was happening in the state “Deswali belt”.
In a conversation with a person he refers to as “kaptan saab”, Prof Virender is allegedly claiming that though the protest is “doing well in our area” (implying Rohtak here), he seems to be allegedly suggesting that the INlD in the Deswali belt in general and Sirsa in particular is not reporting much of a protest.
Rohtak is Hooda’s political constituency and hometown.
“Vaise toh samarthan ka drama kartay ho par apnay ilakay mein kidi bhi nahi rok rakhi,” he allegedly says, adding that Hooda’s attempt to give reservation on economic basis had evoked a strong reaction.
On the issue, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma on Monday said that an inquiry would be conducted into the audio tape. What was the conversation about, people involved and for how long they talked during the ongoing agitation… all these facts would be looked into during the inquiry, said he while talking to the mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting on Monday.
About his earlier statement when he withdrew his charge that former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was instigating the Jats, Sharma said that the truth will come out now whoever is involved in instigating the Jat community. We had earlier said that INlD is also involved in inciting the Jat agitators, said Sharma.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told the media that the Government had doubts that there is some political backing or a director of all this violent agitation. With this audio clip surfacing, it seems that we are right. An inquiry would be conducted into the audio clip, he said.
Demanding a high-level probe into the matter, HJC leader Kuldeep Bishnoi said he will take up the matter with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The INlD, too, has demanded a probe into the audio clip row.
Prof Virender has however refuted the allegations of inciting the agitation and said the audio had been tampered with and the conversation was completely out of context.
“The entire conversation implied that the INlD does not take a clear stand on reservation for Jats and that the man must ensure that peace is not ruined at the instance of the INlD,” he said talking to the media. Asked who “kaptan saab” was, Prof Virender said that he did not know him and was a “random caller”.
Meanwhile, Haryana Congress has issued a showcause notice to Prof Virender following the audio went viral.