Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that corruption has reached unprecedented levels under the BJP government, claiming that even ruling party MPs and MLAs have publicly acknowledged it.
Addressing a press conference in Rohtak on Thursday, Hooda said BJP leaders themselves admitted during a recent DISHA committee meeting that roads constructed during the Congress regime have remained intact for over a decade, whereas roads built under the BJP government fail within days.
He alleged that fresh scams are surfacing regularly, reflecting what he described as widespread corruption during the BJP’s tenure.
Referring to NCRB data, Hooda claimed that an average of nine people die by suicide every day in Haryana. He said the youth and residents of the state are facing depression, unemployment, economic insecurity and mental stress.
Accusing the government of neglecting local youth, Hooda alleged that Haryana residents are being denied employment opportunities while jobs are being awarded to candidates from outside the state. He further claimed that recruitment rules in several hiring processes were deliberately framed to exclude Haryana’s youth, allegedly in violation of UGC norms.
Welcoming the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to quash the recruitment process for Assistant Professors in English, Hooda termed it a victory for the prolonged struggle of Haryana’s youth. He said the court had observed that the government’s November 11, 2022, guidelines violated the UGC Guidelines of 2018.
The Congress leader also raised concerns over the condition of sanitation workers in the state. He alleged that employees recruited during the Congress regime are yet to be regularised, continue to work on contract, and often face salary delays of up to four months. He further said the government has failed to engage with striking sanitation workers despite deteriorating sanitation conditions in cities.
Expressing concern over Haryana’s financial condition, Hooda claimed that the BJP government has pushed the state into a debt burden exceeding Rs 5 lakh crore. He alleged that the government has neither established any major project nor carried out significant developmental work.
Hooda also warned of a possible rise in petrol and diesel prices, citing signals from the central government, and said any increase would further burden people already struggling with inflation.
Among those present at the press conference were MLAs Bharat Bhushan Batra, Shakuntala Khatak and Balram Dangi; former MP Shadi Lal Batra; former minister Subhash Batra; former MLA Sant Kumar; and district Congress president Kuldeep alias KD.
