Jat stir on INLD’s agenda as it prepares for Sept 25 event

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

The INLD has decided to hold the birth anniversary celebrations of former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal on September 25 in Karnal, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s constituency.

Addressing a press conference here today, party leader and Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala, accompanied by state unit president Ashok Arora, said the party had decided to call it ‘Sadbhawna Samman Diwas’ to drive home the point it was unwilling to let the government off the hook for being a mute spectator to the arson that followed the Jat agitation in February.

“Haryana was burning, the social fabric was in tatters and the CM was lost in his own world, unwilling to step in to quell the violence. None of the BJP leaders made a statement, let alone step out of their comfort zones. As many as 31 people died in the agitation. Though we held ‘sadbhawna’ meetings to restore the brotherhood among various castes, the rally to mark the birth anniversary will show that we have been successful in bringing all 36 castes of the state together,” said Abhay.

Citing the Mewat example, Abhay said the police failed to register a case and arrest the guilty till the party raised the issue of gang-rape and murder in Dingerheri in the Assembly, which was in session that time. “The police then registered a case, but did not add the murder section. An all-party delegation of Mewat leaders met the CM, who assured them of a CBI probe in the matter. Nothing has happened till date, while a BJP MLA and union minister continue to defend those arrested in connection with the crime, maintaining they have been framed,” he said.

The leader was critical of the BJP’s silence on provocative statements by BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini. “The latest is his statement that candidates of a particular caste were favoured in the Haryana Civil Services exam. However, we studied the result closely and found that many of those who were given 65 out of 75 marks in the interview could not make it to the merit list, while only two candidates in the top 13 got 65 marks from among the candidates of the caste he mentions,” said Abhay.

At the 103rd anniversary rally, Abhay said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah and JD (U) leader KC Tyagi had confirmed their participation, while the Akali Dal was likely to be represented by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.