CHANDIGARH, Feb 25: Congress heavyweight Deepender Singh Hooda unleashed a barrage against the Haryana BJP regime, charging it with undermining fundamental rights by obstructing protests over MGNREGA’s axing. In a media briefing, the MP with over two decades in Parliament decried the novel tactic of notice-pasting to bar demonstrations, a move he claims he’s never witnessed.
At the heart of the controversy is the government’s push to dismantle MGNREGA and revoke 14 lakh BPL entitlements, sparking Congress outrage. Planned rallies in key districts faced brutal suppression: district presidents, teams, and seniors house-arrested in Faridabad, Hisar, Mahendragarh, Karnal, Sonipat, Panipat, Rohtak, Palwal, and Ambala. The detention of national Youth Congress head Uday Bhanu Chib for four days drew Hooda’s sharpest ire—’Arresting youth for questioning power reeks of arrogance and endangers democracy.’
Haryana Congress chief Rao Narendra Singh’s X post painted a grim picture of the crackdown, asserting it exposes BJP’s dread of the masses. ‘Confining voices won’t mute the people; the fight for rights endures,’ he affirmed. Hooda invoked BJP’s past protests from opposition benches to highlight hypocrisy, stressing that public dissent is democracy’s lifeblood.
As Haryana simmers, this confrontation underscores a worrying trend: governance prioritizing suppression over dialogue. Congress pledges relentless pursuit of justice, rooted in constitutional strength, ensuring the people’s concerns echo loud and clear.