The war of words between the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp and that of Congress MP and former Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh has escalated after the dissident leader publicly criticised the State Government terming it a “private limited company” that has “deviated from the path of public welfare”.
The latest war of words started after the ‘Vikas Rally’ organised in village Meerpur in Rewari on April 25, where Hooda not only accepted the long pending demand of up- grading Meerpur Regional Centre to a University, but also announced country’s first Defence University in Gurgaon.
Rao Inderjit Singh was not invited to the rally where Hooda announced several schemes in the presence of Power Minister Capt. Ajay Yadav, who used to be close to Rao Inderjit Singh earlier. In his speech in the rally, Hooda had targetted the dissident leader saying he wanted "personal development".
He also rubbished charges that there was bias in development of the State, saying that all areas have received equal attention.
Rao Inderjit Singh said he had been sidelined at functions or rallies organised by Hooda in or near his constituency.
He claimed Hooda did not invite him at the time of inauguration of the Rewari-Rohtak rail track on January 8, this year.
The lok Sabha member represents Gurgaon and hails from Rewari which used to be a part of the Gurgaon parliamentary constituency before the delimitation in 2009.
“The protocol requires that I be invited at the inauguration of the rail link. However, I did not get any invite,” Rao alleged.
The MP has been targeting Hooda of late alleging that the Chief Minister has failed on all fronts.
This is not the first time when Rao Inderjit Singh son of late Haryana Chief Minister Rao Birender Singh, has criticised the Hooda-led State Government.
On March 3, Singh floated a non-political outfit ‘Haryana Insaaf Manch’ and tried to launch the political career of his daughter through the organisation.
Singh has been alleging the Government of step-motherly treatment with south Haryana, the area he hails from.
Rao has often made veiled attacks, accusing the Hooda Government of neglecting the South Haryana region —Rewari-Mahendergarh-Gurgaon belt.
“I have remained a loyal Congress worker for 35 years but, I am pained to see that the party is acting like a private company. In fact, both the party as well as the Haryana Government are being run like private entities,” he said.
Interestingly, the Gurgaon MP remains the only Congress leader in Haryana who is critical of Hooda, apart from Union Minister Selja.
Sources said that Congress Vice Pesident Rahul Gandhi had snubbed Singh when he criticised Hooda in a meeting of Haryana MPs.
Those critical of Hooda were asked “not to behave like Opposition members wherever the party was in power”.
Rahul had spoken about party discipline and do’s and don’ts. He had said that wherever Congress was in power, the party organisation needed to support its initiatives and not become the voice of opposition.
Although MPs spoke about a disconnection between the party and the organisation, saying at times they do not recieve information about projects being launched in their own constituency.
Hooda in his defence, reiterated that he is carrying out development through out the State without any regional bias.
As the Central leadership of the party is firmly behind Hooda, most of the erstwhile dissidents have joined the Hooda camp. AICC General Secretary in-charge of Haryana, BK Hariparsad is also not giving undue weight to the rebel leaders.
Even though Rao Inderjit Singh has already sowed seeds of a new political outfit in the State, the veteran Congress leader of what is called the “Ahirwal belt” has no intention to quit the party.