Amid pending probe in the sexual harassment FIR, Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh has not been invited for the state executive meeting scheduled at Bhiwani on Saturday. This is the second time when the minister has not been invited to an important meeting of the BJP. Earlier, according to Haryana BJP state president Om Prakash Dhankar, Sandeep Singh was not invited to the meeting of BJP national executive held in New Delhi. Chandigarh Police had on December 31 lodged an FIR against Sandeep Singh, a former Olympian and Indian hockey team captain, on charges of stalking, illegal confinement, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation after receiving a complaint in this regard from a junior women's athlete coach. Sandeep Singh has termed all allegations against him baseless. Haryana BJP chief spokesperson Sanjay Sharma told The Indian Express that BJP leaders will be meeting in Bhiwani for two days – Friday and Saturday. Sanjay Sharma said: “On Friday, nearly two-dozen office-bearers of the party will discuss the issues to be further discussed in the state executive. Next day, the state executive, which has more than 350 members, will meet.” All the ministers are invited to the party’s state executive meeting. However, Dhankar on Wednesday said: “As the inquiry report has not come yet, we have told him (Sandeep Singh) that he has not been invited to the Bhiwani meeting. Chandigarh Police should submit its investigation report (early). A delay is taking place in getting the report of Chandigarh Police and it should be submitted immediately.” Minister Sandeep Singh was not available for comments, though a close associate of the minister said “nobody is above the rule and regulations of the party”. The “probe is underway”, he added. Bhiwani and neighbouring areas have considerable presence of khap panchayats, which have been issuing warnings to stage protests against him. Earlier, Sandeep Singh had faced protests when he had gone to his constituency Pehowa to unfurl the national flag on Republic Day this year. Then, the Republic Day celebration was marred by unruly scenes and sloganeering as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader voiced her protest against Sandeep Singh, who was the chief guest at the function. That day, as Sandeep Singh – the former sports and youth affairs minister – was seated on stage, Sonia Doohan – the national president of the NCP students' wing – began shouting slogans. Witnessing the ruckus, police personnel tried to take Doohan away. At the same time, the national anthem began but Doohan did not stop shouting slogans against Sandeep Singh. Doohan, who reached the venue from Narnaund, Hisar, was eventually taken into custody. With the Opposition seeking the minister's dismissal, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had insisted that “levelling allegations against someone and registration of an FIR because of that do not prove anyone guilty”. Khattar also said that resigning from the minister's post on moral grounds comes into play only if the person concerned thinks he has made a mistake. Haryana BJP to discuss road map for 2024 polls According to Dhankar, all the BJP MLAs, MPs, and ministers (except Sandeep Singh) from the state will participate in the state executive meeting. CM Khattar, Union Ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, Krishan Pal Gurjar and Bhupender Yadav will also attend the meeting. “In the meeting, the road map for 2024 polls will be discussed, apart from the talks on civic polls of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Manesar and Sirsa,” Dhankar said.
