Khattar, Hooda blame each other for Jat stir violence

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, September 21

CM Manohar Lal Khattar and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda fired salvos at each other here today over arson and violence witnessed during the Jat reservation agitation in February 2016.

Hooda, while addressing a meeting of Congress workers here this evening, squarely blamed Khattar for the riots. He said that even the report of the Prakash Singh Committee appointed by the BJP government had indicted top state functionaries, including the Chief Minister’s office.

On the other hand, Khattar, who was also in Rohtak, said at a press conference that the violent Jat quota stir was part of a conspiracy to defame his government, and the fact was that arson and violence mainly took place in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat and Jind districts. Interestingly, Hooda has a considerable influence in three of these four districts.

The Chief Minister said that the first list of BJP candidates would be released on the first navaratra. A meeting of the party’s election management committee had been called in Delhi on Sunday, he added.

At the Congress meeting, state party president Kumari Selja, Hooda and his son and former Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda accused the BJP leadership of having destroyed Haryana’s social fabric and exhorted party workers to oust the government in order to save the state.

They alleged that gross irregularities were committed in the poll process and counting of votes during the recent Lok Sabha elections on the Rohtak seat to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate.

On the other hand, Khattar said that a public awareness campaign would be launched to educate people about the new Motor Vehicles Act and it would be further amended on the formation of the next government.