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Haryana’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda extended greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Haryana Day on Saturday, while sharply criticising the BJP government for what he described as a “decline in the state’s development trajectory” since 2014.
Hooda said that although Haryana became a separate state on November 1, 1966, its culture and civilization are centuries old. “The battle of Mahabharata was fought in Kurukshetra, Haryana, which gave the message of victory of justice over injustice to the entire world. Rakhigarhi dates back to the Harappan civilization and testifies to our ancient existence. The subsequent battles fought in Panipat determined the future of the entire India,” he said.
Reflecting on Haryana’s formation, Hooda credited Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Hooda and other leaders for their “historic role” in creating a separate state. He said that despite doubts over Haryana’s ability to progress independently, the hardworking people and successive governments set “a unique example of progress for the nation.”
He acknowledged the contributions of former chief ministers Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, Rao Birender Singh, Bansi Lal, Devi Lal, Bhajan Lal, and Om Prakash Chautala in taking Haryana forward.
Hooda asserted that by 2014, during the Congress government, Haryana had become the number one state in the country across all development metrics, including per capita income, per capita investment, sports, respect for the elderly, farmers’ income, law and order, and prosperity. He accused the BJP government of derailing this progress after coming to power.
Responding to journalists, Hooda said, “Unless the law and order situation in a state improves, it cannot progress. Nearly 60 organised criminal gangs are active in Haryana. Law and order has completely collapsed. Fear of them has prevented anyone from investing in Haryana, which is a major cause of unemployment.”
Meanwhile, on the completion of 11 years of the BJP government in Haryana, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Rao Narender Singh wrote an open letter to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, demanding a public apology to the people.
“This is not a time for celebration, but for introspection. The BJP government has pushed Haryana deep into unemployment, corruption, crime, and administrative failures,” Rao Narender Singh said.
He added that in these 11 years, Haryana has lagged behind in every sector — employment, education, healthcare, industry, agriculture, women’s safety, and environment — revealing the government’s complete failure on all fronts.
“People of Haryana do not want celebrations, they want answers. When the youth are unemployed, farmers are distressed, women are unsafe, and citizens are struggling for their rights — then celebrating power is like rubbing salt into the wounds of the people. The Chief Minister must apologise to the public for his failures,” Rao said.
“The Congress believes in politics based on truth, transparency, and accountability, and will support every reform in the public interest — but true reform begins with accepting the truth and apologising to the people,” he added.
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