Order CBI probe into RS poll rigging, says Hooda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 26

Demanding that the “rigging” of the Rajya Sabha poll be referred to the CBI to arrive at the truth, former Chief Minister and Congress MLA Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the BJP government in Haryana should resign for “failing the people on all fronts”.

Taking a dig at the government during a press conference here today, Hooda said: “The government is very eager and forever ready to refer every matter to the CBI. Changing the pen to rig the poll is murder of democracy and a case fit for CBI investigation. Whoever is found to be guilty should be punished.”

Categorical that “every Congress MLA sincerely voted for” the INLD and Congress-backed Independent candidate RK Anand, Hooda alleged that the entire conspiracy was the handiwork of the BJP or the INLD or both. “Anand should file a petition since he lost because 12 votes were cancelled,” he said.

Refusing to comment directly on the one “blank vote” cast in the Rajya Sabha poll, Hooda said that he had refused to back both Anand and BJP-backed Subhash Chandra when approached at a personal level.

“It was like being caught between the devil and the deep sea since they were backed by the INLD and the BJP, respectively. Then, the high command took a decision and the Congressmen honoured it,” Hooda claimed.

Critical of the government performance, the former CM said the “anti-people government” should resign. “On the Prakash Singh Committee report which was so eagerly awaited by the government, officers have been made scapegoats while the minister heading the Home, Vigilance, CID Department, in this case the Chief Minister, has conveniently absolved himself. He must also go since the report clearly states that the government failed to give any direction to control the violence that followed the Jat agitation. The government stands indicted,” he said, adding that the second part of the report on the intelligence should also be made public, false cases against the public be withdrawn and compensation released to all victims.