The Congress on Tuesday faced moments of discomfiture as its ex-stalwart and now Rural Development Minister in the NDA Government, Chaudhary Birender Singh took it head on. The former Congressman punctured holes into the Opposition’s attack over the land Acquisition Bill by flashing his own past association with the grand-old party to point out what the Congress did in Haryana.
Singh also went on to elucidate what the Samajwadi Party did in Uttar Pradesh. Explaining how majority of the States — participating in a land Bill meeting last year — had strongly opposed the consent clause, he singled out the Congress and SP. As Singh tore into his erstwhile party, the Treasury Benches heartily thumped desks to back the former Congress heavyweight.
Stressing his farmer credentials, Singh further assured that he was not doing anything against the farmers, saying that he “knows the Congress inside out” and charged it with giving away “everything to the corporates” even as it neglected the farmers. Singh had switched over to the BJP ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls last year.