Goons running Haryana, not BJP, says Hooda

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Haryana Government, alleging a complete breakdown of law and order in the state and claiming that “goons and miscreants are running the state, not the BJP.”

In a strongly worded statement, Hooda said, “This is the reason why goons and miscreants are fearlessly committing crimes and the general public is forced to live in the shadow of fear. The BJP, which the public has entrusted with the responsibility of security, is itself sleeping in the drunken sleep of power and is directly and indirectly protecting crime.”

Citing recent incidents, Hooda pointed to a spate of criminal activities including a liquor shop firing in Rohtak, ransom demands of Rs 50 lakh from businessmen in Hansi and Kurukshetra, and a murder in Pinjore just two days after a threat. He said these incidents have become daily occurrences, yet the BJP government remains indifferent.

“Every day the newspapers are filled with such news, but the BJP government is not able to see all this because law and order and public safety have never been the priority of the BJP,” he said.

Hooda compared the current situation to the early 2000s, stating, “Whenever the BJP comes to power, hooliganism is established in the state. This government has pushed Haryana into mafia rule and gang war.”

He further cited official data, claiming that the Social Progress Index by the PM’s Economic Advisory Council has termed Haryana the most unsafe state. Quoting NCRB 2022 data, he said, “There were 1,020 murders and 1,786 rape cases reported that year — an average of three murders and four to five rapes daily. Crimes against women alone accounted for 46 cases per day.”