Congress men to gherao Vidhan Sabha on March 9

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, March 1

The Haryana Congress will gherao the Vidhan Sabha on March 9 to protest the “draconian” Land Acquisition Bill, shortage of urea and the “disappointing” Union and Railway Budgets, Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said at a ‘Holi Milan’ programme organised by former state Home Minister Subhash Batra here today.

He remarked that the BJP had got a substantial mandate in the recent General Election but its government had failed to perform or keep the promises made to the people.

Coming down heavily on the BJP regime, Tanwar said the Congress would launch a statewide campaign against the government’s “anti-common people” stance which was evident from the land acquisition ordinance, farmers’ plight and the Union and Railway budgets.

“The campaign will be launched from Rewari on March 2 and culminate at Chandigarh, where party workers will gherao the state Vidhan Sabha on March 9,” he maintained.

In her address, CLP leader Kiran Chaudhry said they were on a mission to re-erect the party organisation in the state to take on the BJP government. “People from all walks of life are already fed up with the functioning of the BJP government, which seems to be on the road to destruction,” she observed, adding that the BJP regime had proved to be ‘pro-capitalist’ and ‘anti-common people’.

Kiran exhorted the party workers and sympathisers attending the event to strengthen the party base in the state. She assured them that they would not be left in the lurch after the party came to power in the state.

‘We’re the real Congress…’

Chief guests Ashok Tanwar and Kiran Chaudhry as well as other speakers launched a veiled attack on former Chief Minister and Congress stalwart from Rohtak Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was conspicuous by his absence at the event. The party leaders and workers present on the occasion were projected as the “real” Congress. Even as the Congress leaders promised progress and performance on coming to power in the state, they did not acknowledge the development carried out during Hooda’s two successive terms.