BJP Built Lavish Five-Star Offices, Not Universities or Schools in 12 Years: Deepender Hooda

Palwal- Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Saturday alleged that the BJP government had taken the country and Haryana off the path of development, claiming that in 12 years of BJP rule, neither four-lane highways nor universities or schools were built, while the party’s lavish five-star offices flourished. He made the remarks while addressing Congress workers’ conventions in Hodal and Hasanpur as the chief guest, in the presence of AICC secretary and Haryana Congress in-charge Jitendra Baghel and former state Congress president Ch. Udaibhan.

Hooda alleged that the country’s economy had been handed over to large industrial houses and that thousands of crores had been collected through them. Comparing the finances of the two major political parties, he said that although the Congress had remained in power for many years, its declared funds were only a few hundred crore rupees, whereas the BJP had a declared balance of ₹15,000 crore. “We cannot even imagine how much cash the BJP has,” he said. Hooda claimed that in 12 years of BJP rule, Haryana had seen neither four-lane roads, universities nor schools, while the BJP had built “lavish five-star offices”. “If there has been development, it has been the development of the BJP’s bank account,” he said, adding that the alleged corruption involving BJP MLAs and ministers had made Haryana number one in the country.

Taking aim at Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Hooda alleged that the promises made by the Chief Minister during the Haryana elections were the same promises being made in Bihar and now in Punjab. He said that during campaigning in Punjab, the BJP was promising farmers a paddy MSP of ₹3,100, a pension of ₹6,000 for senior citizens, regularisation of contractual employees, ₹2,100 under the Lado Lakshmi scheme for every woman and free 100-square-yard plots for poor families. Hooda challenged the Chief Minister to fulfil these promises in Haryana if they were not merely electoral assurances. He said Saini should ensure a paddy MSP of ₹3,100 for farmers, increase the pension of senior citizens to ₹6,000, regularise contractual employees working through HKRN, provide pension under the Lado Lakshmi scheme to every woman in the state and provide free 100-square-yard plots to poor, Scheduled Caste and Backward Class families.

Hooda further alleged that Saini travelled to every state where elections were being held. Referring to the Bihar elections, he said the Chief Minister had gone there claiming to be “the son of Bihar”, and had now reached Punjab because elections were being held there. After Punjab, he said, the next destination would be Himachal Pradesh.

Recalling Haryana’s development before 2014, Hooda said the state was then regarded as synonymous with development and was known for prosperity and good law and order. He claimed that Haryana had been among the leading states in per capita income, per capita investment, economic growth, sports, farmer-friendly policies, crop prices, sugarcane prices and farm-loan waivers. He also said the state had earned recognition for welfare schemes for the poor, free 100-square-yard plots for poor families and the availability of water and electricity. According to Hooda, Haryana had once been among the country’s most advanced states in terms of development, with investment coming into the state at three times the level of Gujarat. He recalled the construction of thermal plants and IMTs, the arrival of industries, expansion of railway lines and metro connectivity, as well as the construction of universities and four- and six-lane national highways. “Hodal is a witness to this,” he said.

Hooda alleged that after 12-and-a-half years of BJP rule, Haryana had fallen to 15th place nationally in development, while ranking first in unemployment, drug abuse and migration abroad through the so-called “donkey route”. Citing figures attributed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, he claimed that Haryana ranked first in the country in crime and alleged that the state’s law-and-order situation had deteriorated, with ransom calls being made from jails. He also accused BJP MLAs and ministers of corruption and alleged that while ordinary people were struggling, BJP leaders were developing illegal colonies.

Hooda said the people of Haryana had wanted a change in the previous election as well, but alleged that the BJP had secured power by using “saam, daam, dand and bhed” and through the misuse of money and the Election Commission. He said that when the people’s mandate was defeated through conspiracy and manipulation, the public also knew how to respond. Referring to his defeat in Rohtak, Hooda alleged that he was defeated by a narrow margin through a conspiracy carried out under the cover of darkness. He said the people subsequently gave the opposition one of the biggest victories in the country in the Lok Sabha elections. Hooda also alleged that all BJP ministers in Haryana had recently issued statements targeting him and that BJP allies were also continuously attacking him because he was raising the voice of the people. “Until the BJP is wiped out in the elections, the wheels of our vehicle will not stop,” he said.

AICC secretary and Haryana Congress in-charge Jitendra Baghel, former state Congress president Ch. Udaibhan, MLAs Raghuvir Tevatia and Prem Singh Dalaal, Palwal district Congress president Netrapal Adhana, Devesh, Abdul Gaffar Qureshi, Jagan Dagar, Tarun Tevatia, Hodal Block Congress president Prince Saurot, Hasanpur Block Congress president Vinod Baisla, Palwal Block Congress president Anup Parashar, Hathin Block Congress president Rajendra Khokhiya, Baroli Block Congress president Om Prakash Baghel, Zahid, Youth Congress president Vikas Dayma, Sanju Saurot, Dr Izhar Hasanpur and Raghuvir Rawat, among other local leaders and workers, were present on the occasion.