Randeep Surjewala hits out at BJP for its five-year 'misrule' in Haryana
KAITHAL: Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP on Saturday for its five-year "misrule" in Haryana.
Addressing a gathering here on the last day of campaigning for the Haryana Assembly polls, he said, "There is not a single section of the society, which has not been cheated by the BJP government."
Farmers, labourers, traders, women, youngsters, Dalits and all other sections of the society were hit by the "wrong policies" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Surjewala, who is seeking re-election from Kaithal in the October 21 polls, said.
"In the last five years, they indulged in loot, lies and creating divisions in the society. Every section is fed up with them," he added.
Claiming that the rate of unemployment in Haryana was touching 29 per cent, the Congress leader hit out at the BJP government in the state, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, saying it was yet to wake up from its "slumber".
"Economic slowdown and factories closing down have become the order of the day under this government. The festival season is at its peak, but the markets are down as people do not have money to make purchases," he said.
Surjewala said while the minimum support price for paddy was Rs 1,835 per quintal, farmers were getting only Rs 1,600 per quintal.
Referring to the incidents of violence during the Jat quota stir in 2016 and after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in 2017, he said, "The hands of the BJP government are stained with the blood of the 200 people, who were killed in police firing in the last five years."
The killing of people due to firing in Panchkula after the Dera chief's conviction in a rape case in August 2017 "reminded us of the scenes of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, when General (Reginald) Dyer ordered firing on the crowds that had gathered there", the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, Surjewala got a shot in the arm when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from Kaithal Madan Lal announced his support to the Congress in the constituency.
Former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Jogiram Balmiki and the party's district spokesperson, Dharmbir, also announced their support to Surjewala.
The Congress leader said this reflected the mood of the people to ensure a mandate in favour of the grand old party in the state.
Haryana will go to polls on October 21 and the results will be announced on October 24.