Opposition condemns Haryana CM Khattar video with “remarks on judge”

According to sources, Khattar was referring to the 2019 case pertaining to recruitment of police constables in Haryana. Due to allegations of irregularities, the recruitment was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Of the 5,000 posts that were to be filled up, the Haryana Staff Selection Commission said the biometrics of at least 833 candidates could not be verified. The case is pending in High Court.

As Khattar’s video went viral on social media, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala called it a “direct attack on the judiciary”. Condemning Khattar’s remarks sharply, he demanded that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court take cognisance of the matter and issue a contempt notice to the CM.

“The Commission’s chairperson is admitting that the Commission could not verify the biometrics of 833 candidates. Also, the government could not give any reason why a recruitment that was initiated in June 2019 has not yet been completed. How can the Chief Minister blame the judge for anything? Rather, he [the CM] should clarify who is at fault when a recruitment has not completed for almost four years — the government or the court?” said Surjewala.

Responding to Surjewala’s comments, Khattar’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Jawahar Yadav said the Chief Minister has faith in the judiciary and respects the court.

Yadav told The Indian Express, “In the video, CM sahab also said that we respect the court and whatever is the decision of the court, that would be final for us. Randeep Surjewala has tampered with a few things from the video. How much Randeep Surjewala respects the court can be measured by the fact that he is alleging irregularities in jobs even before the decision of the court. He (Surjewala) does not respect the court.”

To a question on the recruitment issue mentioned in the video, Yadav did not specify the case and just stated that “this was about the recruitment in the police”.

In response to Surjewala’s comments, Yadav stated in a series of tweets, “Surjewala ji, you are challenging the ability of 5500 male and 1100 female constables by calling the recruitments controversial unnecessarily. Now, the youth understand your attempts aimed at impeding and misleading the recruitments…”