CHANDIGARH: Haryana Congress MLAs today protested against unemployment outside the state assembly by selling pakodas on a rehri at the Sector 9 roundabout here. Taking a swipe at the Congress legislators, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar purchased pakodas from them.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana Congress Legislative Party leader Kiran Choudhry said they were not being allowed to sell Modi’s idea. Raising slogans against the Modi Government and holding pakodas in a basket, the Congress legislators marched towards the state assembly. A legislator Shakuntala Khatak was allegedly manhandled by police while trying to sell pakodas to passers-by.
"Both the union and Haryana governments had promised to create large number of jobs for the unemployed. But now they are assuring 'pakoda jobs' to millions of people looking for work. For BJP leaders, even people earning Rs 200 a day selling 'pakodas' can be considered unemployed, which is a cruel joke," said MLA Karan Singh Dalal.
The Congress MLAs were carrying placards, which had pictures of top BJP leaders and Ministers in the Manohar Lal Khattar cabinet and besides them rates of 'pakodas' were displayed on the side of the photos of the BJP leaders in the placards.
As the Congress leaders were busy selling pakodas and the general public stopped their vehicles and bought the snack from the MLAs. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who was on his way to
attend the ongoing state budget session, stopped his cavalcade and got down from his vehicle. He also purchased small quantity of pakodas from the Congress MLAs. "If anyone is getting employment by selling pakodas, then it is a good thing. They (Congressmen) have become unemployed, now they have got the pakoda-selling job, which is a good thing," Khattar said in a lighter vein.
Also Haryana's Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar said their party was in the habit of insulting poor and aspirational Indians. He slammed Congress for being elitist and looking down on those belonging to humble backgrounds. "First they made joke of tea seller, now they are doing the same thing with the poor people selling 'pakodas' for a living. They have elitist mentality and cannot tolerate 'chaiwalas' and 'pakodawalas'," Dhankar said.
Inside the State Assembly, in a lighter vein Health Minister Anil Vij told the Congress legislators said that his department will get the pakodas checked.