Hooda behind Jat quota stir arson in Rohtak: Grover

Tribune News Service
Rohtak, December 23

Minister of State for Cooperation Manish Grover on Sunday alleged that former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had played an instrumental role in the arson and violence that erupted in Rohtak during the Jat agitation for grant of reservation in February 2016.

Addressing a press conference here, Grover alleged that Hooda could not bear his defeat in the last elections to the state Assembly in 2014 and took revenge for the people’s verdict by getting Rohtak burnt in the garb of the Jat quota stir.

“An audio clip of Hooda’s political adviser Prof Virender, which went viral during the 2016 agitation, proved that the former Chief Minister had played a key role in the arson and violence,” he asserted.

The minister pointed out that his signboard was damaged during the stir while the signboards of former Congress MP Shadi Lal Batra and former MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra were not even touched.

“Shops located on the premises of Hooda’s residence were not targeted. All these facts indicate on whose instance the arson and violence had taken place,” he said.

He was accompanied by newly elected Mayor Manmohan Goyal. Grover maintained that development of all 22 wards in Rohtak would be carried out without any discrimination. In response to a question, he said Mayors would be provided powers in accordance with the rules.

An amount of Rs 280 crore had been released for sewerage, Rs 126 crore for potable water and Rs 130 crore for roads under the AMRUT scheme, he said. He added that an amount of Rs 100 crore was available with the municipal corporation for developmental works.

Goyal asserted that ensuring basic amenities to residents of all wards, installation of CCTV cameras for safety and security of residents and expediting developmental projects would be his top priorities.