Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress was the Vipaksh but the people of Haryana now see the party as the Vikalp (option). Hooda, speaking before massive crowds at the Vipaksh Aapke Samaksh meeting in Hisar on Sunday, listed out the party’s welfare agenda and said the party delivers on what it promises.
The rally, held on Sadbhavna Diwas, to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, had a huge turnout as roads leading to the venue at the grounds of Sector 1-4 in Hisar, were completely blocked with traffic and there were more people outside, than inside the pandal. Entire Hisar was painted in Congress colours as troupes of party supporters marched through the streets with drums to reached the venue.
Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda remembered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to the growth of India as a global IT super power. Enthused by the huge crowd, he said the enthusiasm and support of this sea of people today present today, the Vipaksh had become the Vikalp. He said that the Vipaksh Aapke Samaksh programme has been held in 9 Lok Sabha seats till now but the crowd at Hisar had broken all previous records. The records have been broken in each rally and this rally broke all previous records.
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“Now Udaibhan ji and I have decided that by the end of this year, we will visit all the 90 assembly constituencies of the state. Apart from this, the Jan Milan program will also continue in every district,” he said. Seeing the crowd present there, Hooda gave a new slogan ‘BJP-JJP bhagao, Congress sarkar lao’.
Today the Vipaksh Aapke Samaksh program was attended by state Congress President, Former President, Former Union Minister, former Speaker of Haryana Legislative Assembly, More than two dozen party MLAs, Former Ministers, former MLAs, MPs, Former MPs, senior leaders of the party, Congress Seva Dal, leaders and of all frontal organizations including Congress, Youth Congress, NSUI, and party workers were present in large numbers.
In his address, Hooda attacked the government on the decline of Haryana since the 2014 Vidhan Sabha election. “When the BJP came to government in 2014, Haryana was number 1 in per capita income, per capita investment, law and order and job creation. It has now reached number 1 in inflation, unemployment, corruption and debt. Inflation is skyrocketing,” he said.
“Today every section has turned away from the present government. There are no teachers in schools, no doctors in hospitals, no staff in offices, no police in police stations. Kaushal Rozgar Nigam is working to darken the future of the youth. When a mini-government was formed after the panchayat elections (at the lowest tier of democracy), the sarpanches in Panchkula were beaten with sticks. Somewhere ASHA workers, somewhere MNREGA workers, somewhere farmers for compensation and somewhere other class people are sitting on dharna,” he said.
Reminding the development works done by the Congress government before the year 2014, he said that his government many development works done from rail, road, airport to power plant, school, university and healthcare facilities and Hisar was approved as a magnet town by the central government. “If the present BJP-JJP government has done even one new work, then they should tell the people. Far from getting the international airport approved during the Congress government, this government could not even start the domestic airport in Hisar,” Hooda said.
The former Chief Minister laid out the agenda of the Congress government and said the Congress always delivers on its promises. “First of all, we will remove the Parivar Pehchan Patra, Meri Fasal Mera Byora and will end the drama of Family ID. When the Congress government is formed, the pension of the elderly will be Rs 6000 per month. Every family will be given a gas cylinder for Rs 500. Plots of 100 yards will be given to SCs and Backwards,” he said.
“Creamy layer of backward class will be increased from 6 lakh to 10 lakh. Vishwakarma Karigar Yojana will be implemented for BCA category artisans, which will ensure that artisans will get loans at less than 5% interest. We will give 2 lakh permanent jobs and employment to the youth. Will implement old pension scheme for the employees. Will take the farmer from loan waiver to debt relief, and will give MSP guarantee. Will provide 300 units of free electricity for poor families,” he said.
State Congress President Ch. Udaibhan, in his address, said the storm of the Congress party is sweeping through Haryana and the BJP-JJP alliance is going to be reduced to single digit in the coming elections. Reminding the false promises of the BJP, he said that by 2022 farmers’ income would be doubled, 2 crore jobs would be created every year, inflation will be reduced in 100 days, black money would be brought to every person’s account in 100 days and 15 lakhs would be given, those who wear hawai chappals would fly by air travel.
“The leaders of BJP are making the public fight among themselves. Recently CAG has exposed 7 scams of BJP. There has been a lot of irregularities in the Ayushman scheme. Dead people were given fake treatment. 4121 Ayushman cards are fake in Haryana, money was withdrawn in their names,” he said.
“Corruption worth lakhs of crores took place in the Bharatmala project. In the Dwarka Expressway project, instead of Rs 18 crore per kilometre, the road was constructed at the rate of Rs 250 crore per kilometre,” he added.
Targeting the state government, he said that this government will have to explain why the papers of HPSC, HSSC were leaked, why questions were repeated in the recruitment examinations. “Why nearly 2 lakh posts are vacant in Haryana. Why is there huge inflation in the state? 132,000 houses had come for the poor under the scheme of the central government, why were they surrendered? In the coming elections, the people of Haryana will hold the government to account for the great sin committed by this government by cutting ration cards of 10 lakh poor families and pension of 5 lakh elderly people in the name of PPP,” he said.
MP Deepender Hooda started his address by paying tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the entire pandal resounded with the slogans of Rajiv Gandhi Amar Rahen. He said that such a huge attendance in record heat and record humidity is an indicator of certain change in Haryana. Deepender Hooda said the four key achievements of this government are unemployment, inflation, corruption and arrogance.
He moved 3 resolutions in the Vipaksh Aaapke Samaksh program. First – To break the arrogance of BJP. Second, to respond to JJP’s betrayal with the power of their votes. Third – to continue the struggle till the government, which insulted the people of Haryana so much and caused so much damage to Haryana, is thrown out of power.
He said that corruption and betrayal define the core identity of this government. “Seeing the success of Vipaksh Aapke Samaksh, the government started a public dialogue program, but this turned out to be a programme to insult people, instead of public dialogue,” he said.
“This government has derailed Haryana from the track of development in the last 9 and a half years. Haryana, which was at number one in terms of growth rate till 2014, is now at 17th position. This government made the state number 1 in unemployment. Youth are unemployed in every household. Due to unemployment, youth are getting trapped in the clutches of drugs,” he pointed out.
“This government converted permanent jobs into temporary ones through Skill Corporation. Our youth are looking abroad for their future by selling their homes. The state, which used to be number 1 in welfare for the poor, has been made number 1 in inflation. The rates of diesel-petrol, cooking gas cylinders, children’s education has spoiled the budget of families,” he added.
Deepender Hooda said that during the Hooda government of Congress, 14 universities, 2300 new schools were established across the state, out of which 2 universities were opened in Hisar. “This government closed about 5000 schools. The children had to sit on dharna to save their schools,” he said.
“The development of any state is linked to connectivity. A four-lane road was made from Rohtak to Dabwali. Rohtak-Meham-Hansi rail line got sanctioned, airport was approved. Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant of 1200 MW capacity was established at Khedar. I ask this this government if it has got any new work done in 9 years,” he questioned.
Continuing the attack on the government, he said even medical treatment has become beyond the reach of the poor man and medical education has become beyond the reach of children of the poor. Medical fees were increased to 40 lakhs against which the students had to sit on dharna. “The state which was at the forefront in honouring sportspersons, 750 medal winners were given government jobs, but this government humiliated the sportsperson daughters by dragging them on the road demanding justice,” he stated.