Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Yatra, CM Khattar takes swipe at ‘factionalism’ in Congress' Haryana unit

Says there are two factions in Congress' state unit -- one led Bhupinder Hooda and another by Surjewala, Kumari Selja and Kiran Choudhary

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Tribune file

PTI

Chandigarh, January 3

Ahead of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Nyay Yatra, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress, referring to “factionalism” within the party's state unit and claimed its leaders are doing “an-nyay (injustice)” with each other.

The Congress has announced the Bharat Nyay Yatra, led by Gandhi, from Manipur to Mumbai, passing through 14 states and 85 districts from the east to the west of India in 67 days, beginning January 14 -- an exercise seen as the party's attempt to rally support ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhi had earlier led the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir that had also passed through Haryana.

Khattar said when asked about the yatra, “Haryana mein ek doosre ke saath jo an-nyay kar rahe hai, woh wohi hai. Kisse nyay maang rahe hai, kiske liye maang rahe hai?”

He also mentioned that there are two factions in the Congress' state unit -- one led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and another by Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kumari Selja and Kiran Choudhary. The second group, Khattar said, is nowadays being referred to as the “SRK Group”.

“SRK (Group) Hooda se an-nyay kar raha hai, Hooda kissi aur se an-nyay kar raha hai, toh an-nyay ki gaatha hai unke toh (SRK Group is doing injustice with Hooda, Hooda is doing injustice with someone else. It is a saga of injustice),” Khattar said.

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Khattar also took on the Congress, saying the more it attacks his government's flagship programme such as the Parivar Pehchan Patra (Family ID), Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam and other schemes, the more it will be targeted by the people benefitting from these.

When asked if he will participate in the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Khattar said he will go at a later date, tentatively February 9.

Many people from Haryana will be going to Ayodhya, likely on February 9, he said, and added that the state government will request the Indian Railways to run special trains from Haryana to facilitate the pilgrims.

The consecration of Ram Lalla in the newly-built temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in the ceremony.

Asked if there is any possibility of holding Assembly polls in Haryana, due in October, simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections, Khattar said, “As I said earlier, we are ready whenever the polls are held.”

To a related question, he said, “The Election Commission can, if it wants, hold the assembly polls with the Lok Sabha elections when there is a gap of only six months between the two.”

Khattar also said there were 17 agenda items in the Cabinet meeting, of which 15 were taken up. The remaining two will be taken in up future meetings after incorporating certain suggestions made by his Cabinet colleagues.