In a strong counter-offensive, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda addressed allegations from the BJP regarding land deals during his tenure, particularly concerning Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Speaking to reporters in Karnal, Hooda stated that if the BJP could provide evidence that any government land was given to Vadra, he would resign from politics.
The BJP has long claimed that Vadra benefitted from land deals during the Congress regime, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah frequently mentioning these accusations in their campaigns. Hooda, however, refuted these claims, asserting, “I challenge them to give details of the land. The Congress did not give even an inch of government land to Robert Vadra.”
Hooda criticized the BJP for using the issue as a political tool, suggesting they have no substantial issues to address. He emphasized his family’s legacy, citing his grandfather’s role as a freedom fighter and his father’s contributions to the Constitution alongside B.R. Ambedkar.
The former chief minister also condemned the current BJP-led government, which has been in power in Haryana since 2014, for its record of violence and alleged police brutality. He claimed that under BJP rule, 78 individuals have been killed by police, citing the violence during the Dera Sacha Sauda incident in Panchkula in 2017, where 40 people lost their lives, many of whom were reportedly from Dalit communities. Hooda’s remarks come as the Congress party aims to regain power in Haryana after a decade. As the election campaign reaches its climax, he is determined to challenge the BJP’s narratives and position his party as a viable alternative.