Khattar dismisses Oppn’s ‘dummy CM’ jibe against Saini, says BJP culture different

Reacting on two recent suicides of police officials, including IPS Y Puran Kumar and ASI Sandeep Lathar, the Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, described the incidents as “extremely unfortunate”, saying that “two families have lost responsible citizens”.

He expressed concern over some people attempting to politicise these incidents, saying, “Politics should not be done over such sensitive matters — this is my humble appeal.” He also cautioned against giving the issue a caste-based colour, clarifying that “if there is one common factor to discuss, it is corruption.”

Khattar was in the city on Saturday. Earlier, he met sanitation workers at the PWD Rest House and people of his constituency to listen to their issues. He extended Diwali wishes to them. Later, he met party workers at the BJP’s district office and wished them Happy Diwali.

While interacting with mediapersons, he said awareness among people regarding corruption had increased significantly. He mentioned that two days after the Haryana incident, a large amount of cash was recovered from a Punjab IPS officer’s residence. “Earlier, such things were neither found nor brought to light. Our investigation agencies are now working more actively — this should be seen as a positive step,” he said.

Reiterating the government’s stance, the minister said, “We have always said we will neither indulge in corruption nor allow corruption.” He paid tribute to both the police officials, assuring that “the government stands with the bereaved families and justice will surely be served through due legal process.”

Responding to the Opposition’s remarks calling him a “dummy” and referring to him (Khattar) as “Super CM,” Manohar Lal dismissed the claims, saying, “It does not matter what someone says. Never before has one party formed the government twice consecutively with different Chief Ministers.”

He said the BJP had broken old political traditions in Haryana by ensuring cooperation instead of internal rivalry. “The BJP is the first party to form the government in Haryana for the third consecutive time. Some expect internal conflict because that’s what happens in their parties, but our culture is different — we believe in mutual cooperation and teamwork,” he said.

Khattar also said that development in Haryana was the result of coordination between the CM and the Union Government. “When I have some work, I speak to the CM, and when he needs something, he speaks to me — this mutual support ensures progress,” he said.

Highlighting upcoming national events, Khattar announced that a series of programmes would be held to strengthen national unity in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary. The celebrations would begin on October 31 with Run for Unity and continue till December 31, featuring seminars, exhibitions and literature distribution to promote the message of unity among the youth, the minister said.

He informed that from October 25 to 27, Padayatras (foot marches) of 8–10 km would be organised across villages and cities, encouraging large participation, especially from the youth. Registration for these events was being done through the My Bharat portal.

Praising the initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, he said, “This new campaign will further strengthen the spirit of national unity.”

He highlighted welfare measures such as the Rs 200 increase in old-age pension and the launch of the Lado Lakshmi Yojana, under which women beneficiaries would start receiving Rs 2,100 from November. He emphasised that Haryana’s government continues to function in a clean, transparent and development-oriented manner, ensuring that “the people are happy and the state remains hopeful for the future.”