Rao makes veiled attack on Khattar govt over caste division

MUNDAHERA (JHAJJAR): In a veiled attack on his party’s government in the state, Union Minister Rao Inderjit said Haryana had unfortunately witnessed a deep division among castes during the rule of Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar but he would not let those working against social harmony succeed and pull out all stops to restore brotherhood among all castes for the overall growth of the state.

Union Minister Rao Inderjit addresses workers.

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Mundahera (Jhajjar), July 15

In a veiled attack on his party’s government in the state, Union Minister Rao Inderjit said Haryana had unfortunately witnessed a deep division among castes during the rule of Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar but he would not let those working against social harmony succeed and pull out all stops to restore brotherhood among all castes for the overall growth of the state.

Rao was addressing a gathering during a workers’ meeting in Mundahera village here on Sunday. “CM Khattar has ensured equal distribution of state resources among all districts, but the state has seen cracks among castes in his regime. No one can rule in this situation as it has taken a shape like a three-leg chair on which no one can sit,” he said.

Without naming anyone, the minister said only a leader should be made Chief Minister instead of making a Chief Minister to be a leader. He expressed resentment over inordinate delay in the execution of Supreme Court’s verdict in favour of Haryana regarding the SYL canal issue.

“Once, CM Manohar Lal had discussed the SYL issue with me and planned to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other Haryana leaders for the delegation of a Central agency for ensuring the execution of the SC verdict, but I do not know whether or not, he has met the PM,” said Rao, adding that the Ravi-Beas water would establish a link between Jhajjar and Ahirwal as the water would come to Ahirwal via Jhajjar.

The Ahil leader said he, along with other MPs of the state, would call on the PM in the upcoming monsoon session of the Lok Sabha and would demand the execution of the SC verdict so that Haryana could get its legitimate share of water.

Comparing former CM Bhupinder Hooda with him, Rao said they both had served as legislators and MP four times, but the major difference between them was that people consider Hooda as farmers’ leader like Devi Lal, but he had not yet received this tag despite raising farmers’ issues prominently and winning all elections on the rural votes. Hooda had won the polls on urban votes, he added.

Describing Hooda as his old friend, Rao said Hooda had helped him in getting the Congress ticket in the Lok Sabha polls in 1998. “I too assisted Hooda in getting him votes from my stronghold in the I998 General Election to ensure his victory. Hooda would not have become the CM, had I not supported him,” Rao claimed.

Without naming Hooda, Union Minister Rao Inderjit said he had to quit the Congress following a conspiracy to make inroads into his citadel.

Jhajjar: Three BJP MLAs, Vikram Yadav from Kosli (Rewari), Om Prakash Yadav from Narnaul (Mahendragarh) and Bimla Choudhary from Pataudi (Gurgaon), and Member of Parliament from Bhiwani- Mahendragarh Dharamvir Singh attended the party workers’ meet in Mundahera village here and showered praise on Rao Inderjit for raising issues pertaining to farmers and South Haryana.

‘Only a leader should be made CM’

Without naming anyone, Rao Inderjit said only a leader should be made Chief Minister instead of making a Chief Minister to be a leader. He expressed resentment over inordinate delay in the execution of the Supreme Court’s verdict in favour of Haryana regarding the SYL canal issue