Congress’ Karnal nominee Divyanshu Budhiraja a PO

Panchkula, April 27

Congress Karnal candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja, who will take on former CM Manohar Lal Khattar in his maiden race to Parliament, is a proclaimed offender (PO) for his failure to appear in a Panchkula court in a case registered in 2018.

The 31-year-old former student leader-turned-politician, who has been holding public meetings and protests and roaming the state for long, today claimed that the BJP had been playing vendetta politics against him and the FIRs registered against him were false.

Budhiraja garnered attention in 2014 after he became president of Panjab University Students’ Council. He later became the state president of Haryana NSUI in 2017. In 2021, he became president of the state Youth Congress.

He said he had been raising student, unemployment and people-centric issues, which had led to the registration of various FIRs against him.

He was in news after he blocked former CM ML Khattar’s convoy in 2017 while protesting against unemployment and was jailed for three days. In 2018, he blocked a state highway in connection with direct student union elections in the state. The police had registered a case against him in 2018 for defacement of public property.

Budhiraja said, “We raised the issue of unemployment in the state. But the government did not answer our questions. In fact, an FIR was registered against me under Section 174 of the CrPC.” The case was registered for causing damage to public property.

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Panchkula, while holding a hearing in the case on December 15, said, “Till today, after a lapse of more than 30 days, accused Divyanshu Budhiraja has not appeared in lieu of proclamation executed against him. Hence, accused Divyanshu Budhiraja is declared a proclaimed person.” — TNS

Not informed about case

I have been holding public rallies and protests, but have not received any information about it. I was informed about the case only after the party announced me as the candidate from Karnal. — Divyanshu Budhiraja, Cong candidate