The two factions — one of state president Ashok Tanwar and another associated with Hooda — flexed muscles by organising separate press meetings in Karnal.
Party workers owing allegiance to the faction of Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary burnt effigy of two-time chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at his hometown of Rohtak.
Talking to The Tribune after the protest, Haryana Congress general secretary Kultaj Singh said the recent activities of the Hooda group indicated that the former CM was conspiring with the BJP to weaken the Congress.
“Instead of cornering the state government during the Assembly session, Hooda and his men took their internal bickering to the media, which was a big setback for the party. We demand his (Hooda’s) ouster from the Congress,” he maintained.
In the morning, some of Tanwar’s supporters led by state secretary Pankaj Punia expressed their anger over the MLAs’ meeting against Tanwar and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Kiran Choudhary in Chandigarh and burnt an effigy of Hooda.
Around noon, Ashok Tanwar told mediapersons that the meeting of the MLAs was unfortunate. He said if someone has any grievance then it should be raised on the party platform.
“We have several issues to attack the BJP government, including corruption, Jat agitation, SYL, and these MLAs should have formed a strategy over it instead of working against the leaders,” he said.
Tanwar said they will gherao the Assembly on March 7 over these issues important to the state.
He referred the burning of Hooda’s effigy by his supporters an act against those who have been working against the discipline of the party. “I will raise the issue in front of the party high command,” he said.
Later in the evening, former speaker Kuldeep Sharma in the presence of ex-CM Hooda and former state Congress president Phool Chand Mulana, reiterated the demand of change in the leadership in the state Congress.
He said some leaders have been attempting to spoil the environment of the party by lodging fake FIRs against Hooda.
“I was also there but there was no issue of the SC and ST Act. The Shinde Committee had submitted its report and we are ready to join investigation by the Delhi police,” Sharma said.
“Now, when the leaders have taken the party to the police station, we have decided to approach the high command to ask it to take stock of the situation and make necessary change in leadership,” the former speaker said.
Denying any rift in the party, Hooda, in a lighter vein, dismissed the incident of burning of his effigy, saying “such an act will only add years to my life”.
He took a dig at the BJP over the resentment among its MLAs. “BJP’s own MLAs have been questioning the working of the Chief Minister. They highlighted the issues of corruption, development and the officers not heeding to their complaints. Only the ministers have been running the government,” Hooda said.
He added that there was no hope of a good budget.
The former speaker claimed that CM Manohar Lal Khattar can be changed anytime.
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