Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday demanded a probe by a sitting High Court judge to unravel the conspiracy behind the incidents of arson and violence in Haryana following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in rape cases.
A day after Chief Minister Manohar lal blamed Punjab Police for not giving timely information about the whereabouts of dera chief’s adopted daughter, Honeypreet Insan and allegedly shielding her, Hooda while talking to the mediapersons, alleged that the Chief Minister is making such statements to hide the failure of his own government.
Referring to Manohar lal’s statement where he said that “something is fishy in the entire matter” blaming Punjab Police, Hooda said that Honeypreet is also reported to have stayed in Rajasthan where the BJP has a government. Who has shielded her thereIJ, asked the former Chief Minister.
“The entire episode leading to the Panchkula violence needs in-depth probe. A commission headed by a sitting judge of the High Court should be set up for the investigation. Besides, the former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh, who did probe in last year’s violent Jat agitation, should be appointed as advisor to assist the inquiry commission,” demanded Hooda.
Atleast 41 people had died while more than 260 were injured in the incidents of violence and arson in Haryana after Ram Rahim’s conviction. A majority of the dead were shot by police who had to open fire to quell the protesters.
The two-time former Chief Minister said that who is answerable for the deaths of so many people, who died in police firing on August 25.
Referring to Honeypreet’s interview where she said that we were hoping to return happily from the CBI court to Sirsa by the evening on August 25, Hooda said, “This indicates that there must have been a deal between dera chief and BJP during the elections to save him…”
Hooda asked, “Was it not the Haryana Government which took Honeypreet in a helicopter to Sunaria jail in RohtakIJ Why was she later allowed to go to Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa and then to RajasthanIJ”
A number of “conspiracy theories” have been doing the rounds, said he while, adding that the State Government had first said that Section 144 had been imposed in Panchkula but later allowed lakhs of dera followers to gather in the city ahead of Ram Rahim's conviction by a special CBI court on August 25.
All this needs to be probed by a commission of sitting judge of High Court. We will raise this issue in the upcoming session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, he added.
Continuing his tirade against the BJP led Haryana Government, the senior Congress leader said that during the three years of reign of the BJP government in Haryana, three violent incidents have taken place, including the Jat reservation and Rampal issue.
“It is for the first time in Haryana’s history that more people have fallen to police bullets in the past three years against those who died in similar incidents from 1966 (when state came into existence) till 2014,” claimed the former Chief Minister.
Hooda also demanded a constitution of a probe commission to look into the scam related to power purchase in Haryana.
He also hit out at the State Government for doing nothing to de-stress the farming sector. “The BJP government went back on the promises it made to the peasants,” said he.
Hooda also said the scrapping of high-value currency in November last year and the implementation of the GST with high rates have put the common people and traders under stress.
On a question related to change in state party leadership, he said that organizational election process is ongoing. When asked whether he is keen to become Haryana Congress chief, Hooda said, “If given by the party high command, will take the responsibility…”
He also criticized the State Government for corruption cases, unemployment and paper leak cases.
In view of increased attacks on journalists, the former Chief Minister also backed introducing a journalist protection act for the safety of media fraternity.