Deepender says BJP ‘anti-SC’, announces gherao of assembly today

Jind: Rohtak MP and Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Tuesday said the BJP govt in Haryana had proven to be anti-Scheduled Castes.Addressing the executive meeting of the Haryana Congress Scheduled Caste department in Jind district, Deepender alleged that although the BJP captured power, it ran the govt by trampling public sentiment.
He claimed that the BJP govt deprived marginalised communities of their rights and excluded them from various welfare schemes. He also accused the BJP-led central govt of conspiring to weaken and ultimately abolish the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).Deepender said more than 8 lakh MGNREGA workers were registered and active in Haryana, but in 2024-25, only 2,191 families received the full 100 days of employment. He claimed, under the provisions of the Act, the unemployment allowance — meant to be provided when work is not given on time — was not paid to a single worker in Haryana over the last 5 years.The Lok Sabha member further accused the BJP of gradually reducing the scheme's budget to phase it out.He announced that on Feb 25 (Wednesday), under the call of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party would gherao the Haryana legislative assembly in Chandigarh to protest against the alleged conspiracy to end MGNREGA and deletion of 14 lakh BPL cards.Earlier in the day, Deepender laid the foundation stone of the Dr B R Ambedkar Bhawan in Radhna village. He said Haryana was facing the highest levels of unemployment, corruption, migration, crime, and drug abuse.The Congress leader questioned the fate of Haryana's youth, alleging that major projects such as an international airport, a rail coach factory, and a defence university — approved during the Congress tenure — were shifted out of the state.Referring to recruitment through the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Deepender alleged that the BJP govt was attempting to dilute constitutionally guaranteed reservations for reserved categories through backdoor measures.He cited examples such as the recruitment of assistant professors in English, where only one out of 60 posts was filled and 59 were left vacant; in OSC recruitment, only two out of 60 posts were filled; and in PGT Computer Science, 342 SC posts remained vacant.Deepender further claimed that imposing a 35% qualifying condition and marking candidates as "not found suitable" resulted in 60-70 seats being left vacant in every recruitment cycle, whereas previous Congress govts cleared backlog vacancies.He also reminded that the BJP made several promises before elections — providing 100-square-yard plots, Rs 2,100 financial assistance to every woman, and pensions for the elderly — but reneged on these after coming to power.The parliamentarian recalled that during the Congress govt, four lakh families received 100-square-yard plots, 3.5 lakh families received houses under the Indira Awas Yojana, and thousands of rural watchmen and sanitation workers were recruited.He added that scholarships were provided to 20 lakh SC and BC students from Class 1 to 12. The BJP govt not only stopped these scholarships but also closed around 5,000 schools, claimed Deepender.He said the Congress govt constituted the SC Commission, which he alleged the BJP later dissolved. Deepender also highlighted that during the Congress tenure, the first National Law University of north India was established in 2010 at Sonipat in the name of Dr B R Ambedkar in Rajiv Gandhi Education City.Criticising the BJP's Deendayal Upadhyaya low-cost housing scheme, Deepender said BJP ministers and MLAs were carving out colonies in Haryana's cities while the public continued to suffer.He further accused the BJP of misusing money power and divisive tactics to gain power, and alleged attempts being made to divide society. Referring to the Lok Sabha elections, he claimed that the Congress received 47.6% of the vote share in Haryana and the people rejected the BJP's "400 cross" slogan and attempts to tamper with the Constitution."Long live the Constitution — it was, is, and will remain," he said, adding that the Constitution signed by Dr B R Ambedkar and his late grandfather, Ranbir Singh Hooda, would not be allowed to be altered even an inch.MSID:: 128754282 413 |