Haryana assembly elections: Troughs in BJP tenure

BJP Looks Strong Going Into Elections, But The Saffron Party Has Managed To Gather Enough Baggage During Its Five-Year Rule, Which Could Slow It Down, Reports Ajay Sura The Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana has been seeking re-election for “corruption-free” and “transparent” governance, the saffron party’s five-year rule, however, witnessed maximum incidents of violence, riots and bloodshed, in which more than 75 people lost their lives.

The number of casualties in police action were the highest in the history of Haryana, which was formed in 1966 after division of Punjab.

Besides riots and incidents of violence, the Khattar regime was also marred by controversies related to scams in recruitment of government jobs, ink gate, social divide, illegalities in kilometre scheme of transport department, violence by cow- vigilante groups and de-notification of Aravali forest.

The Haryana government also had to face embarrassment after the Punjab and Haryana high court declared the report of Dhingra commission, which probed the controversial land deals in Gurgaon, including those of Congress president Sonia Gandhi 's son-in-law Robert Vadra , as “no-nest” (does not exit). The order to declare report legally non-sustainable was passed by the HC after observing that government appointed commission had failed to follow basic rules while conducting the probe. The decision was like an egg on the Haryana government’s face as the BJP government had presented the land scams of Bhupinder Singh Hooda regime, including Vadra land deal in Gurgaon, as a symbol of corruption in the 2014 assembly polls.

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Rampal Ashram incident

This was the Khattar government’s first encounter with law and order situation in the state and six persons lost their lives and several others were injured. Self-styled godman Rampal was booked in November 2014 for sedition and several other serious charges after he stubbornly challenged the directions of the high court, which had asked him to appear in person in relation to a contempt of court matter.

As many as 5,375 security personnel from the state and central forces were deployed by the Haryana government to arrest Rampal and his aides from Barwala-based ashram after 10-day operation that had ended with his arrest on November 19, 2014. The entire operation to nab Rampal cost Rs 26 crore to the exchequer. Later, Rampal was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Jat violence

Around 30 people were killed in Haryana after security forces fired on members of Jat community who were taking part in an agitation for reservation in government jobs under the OBC quota. The Khattar government faced allegations that it miserably failed to handle the agitation and could not negotiate with the protesters after which the situation turned volatile. Property worth thousands of crores was also reduced to ashes in the violence in the third week of February 2016. Over 2,100 FIRs were registered and hundreds of people are facing trials across the state for their alleged involvement in the riots. A committee constituted by the state under former DGP Prakash Singh also indicted the role of several administrative and police officers for failure of law and order machinery in the state during the riots. The February 2016 violence left a deep impact on the psyche of the people leading to caste-based division in the state. The statements made by various groups and prominent leaders, including those from ruling BJP, had stained the ‘brotherhood’ in the state giving birth to narratives like ‘Jat versus non-Jat’ or ’35-Biradari versus 1-Biradari’

SEPT 7, 2016

Beef in biryani

In September 2016, controversy over meat used in biryani started just before the Eid-ul Zuha celebrations. Just four days ahead of the festival, Haryana cow commission head Bhani Ram Mangla directed police to collect samples of biryani in Mewat area of Gurgaon. As the issue boomeranged into a controversy, CM Khattar gave a dressing down to Mangla and his team. The matter had also reached the HC

JUNE 11, 2016

Ink-gate

It was perhaps for the first time in the country that an FIR was registered for an election to the Rajya Sabha (RS). Finding prima facie irregularities in the controversial election process of RS member from Haryana, in which noted lawyer R K Anand had lost to media mogul Subhash Chandra in June 2016, the Election Commission of India had recommended registration of FIR to probe the circumstances that led to use of unauthorised pen for voting and cancellation of a large number of votes. Despite having support of 35 MLAs, Anand had lost to Subhash Chandra after 14 votes of Congress MLAs were declared invalid. Votes of 13 Congress MLAs were cancelled because the legislators had not used an ink pen prescribed by the EC. Vote of one Congress MLA was cancelled after he exposed his vote to the Congress Legislative Party chief. Anand, who was backed by INLD and Congress, alleged that the official pen was removed from the polling area in a clandestine and dishonest manner in an effort to sabotage the election

DECEMBER 24, 2016

Selection of fishermen

The Khattar government’s first recruitment came under scanner and had to be cancelled because of allegations of favouritism and nepotism. On February 11, 2016, 90 posts for fisherman-cum-watchman were advertised through direct recruitment by a selection committee and on December 12, 2016, final list of 96 candidates was released. The allegations were that entire selection was a fraud and merit was the first casualty, as many persons who were selected had links with influential persons, ministers and members of selection committee and employees of the department. It was also alleged that meritorious candidates were denied a chance and those who could not swim and were about to drown during the physical test were finally selected. The minister heading the department, Om Prakash Dhankar, was also accused of favouritism. When the matter reached the HC, the state had to cancel the recruitment and a probe was ordered

Cash-for-jobs in assembly

The Haryana state assembly secretariat too came under the scanner over alleged cash-forjobs scam. The entire controversy relates to the case where Ambala district resident Baljeet Singh had allegedly collected around Rs 90 lakh from youths for employment in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. Later, Baljeet Singh consumed celphos and died during treatment at Government Medical College and Hospital on December 24, 2016. In his statement, Baljeet had revealed names of some persons whom he had paid money for getting jobs in Haryana Vidhan Sabha. One of the accused, Ram Nath, who has been arrested in this case disclosed that he had paid Rs 90.15 lakh to an employee of the assembly out of Rs 93.15 lakh collected and paid by Baljeet for the jobs

FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Aravali denotification

In February 2019, the Khattar government passed a bill, the Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana amendment) Act (PLPA), 2019, in the assembly, opening up thousands of acres of land, protected as forest since 1900, for the real estate sector development in areas deemed as forest. According to the amendment, PLPA would not be applicable to areas under master plans, and construction was allowed on 80,000 acre of forest, or 50% of the Aravali range in south Haryana in districts of Gurgaon, Faridabad , Nuh, Mahendergarh and Rewari. After the matter reached the Supreme Court, it stayed the bill observing that the Haryana government’s action was ‘obnoxious’ and ‘contemptuous’ and expressed annoyance at its ‘temerity’ to violate its order that banned mining and construction activities. The Khattar government’s move was also criticised by the opposition parties as well as environmentalists

JUNE 25, 2018

Kilometre scheme scam

Under Haryana’s much talked about kilometre scheme, 700 buses were to be hired from private transporters. However, in the first process bids were approved and finalized only for 510 buses for which the lease agreements in September 2018 were finalized. The rates received for 510 buses were from Rs 31.01 to 37.30 per kilometre. For remaining 190 buses, the process of hiring the buses was initiated and the rates received by the government were much lower that the rates finalized for 510 buses.

On complaint of alleged irregularities, a probe was conducted and it was found that the whole tender process was vitiated and marred by collusive bidding, cheating and fraud. The allegations were substantially proved in inquiry report and the government had to terminate the lease agreement of hiring 510 buses. The matter had also vindicated the stand of roadways employees of the state who had resorted to state’s longest ever 18-day strike on this issue

APRIL 5, 2018

Cash-for-job scam

The cash-for-job scam was exposed on April 5, 2018 when Haryana chief minister’s flying squad arrested some employees of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and other departments who were extracting money from the candidates after promising them selection for the government jobs. Some middlemen were also arrested. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, cheating and forgery and other offenses was registered in Panchkula and other places. When the matter reached the HC in January 2019, the court observed that “attempts are being made to protect some functionaries of Haryana Staff Selection Commission” in this case and asked the Haryana government to inform it as to why the matter should not be handed over to CBI. Later, the Haryana government assured the HC that the investigation of the matter would now be “monitored at the highest level.” The investigation of the matter is still pending

AUGUST 25, 2017

Dera violence

Around 40 people were killed and hundreds were injured in Panchkula and Sirsa in the violence that erupted after a special CBI court on August 25, 2017 convicted Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in rape cases. Police had to resort to firing after his followers, who gathered in large numbers before the verdict, started setting government buildings on fire in Panchkula city. The incident also trigged violence in Punjab. Property worth crores was damaged. The Khattar government was criticized for allowing a large number of dera followers to gather in Panchkula before the hearing. Importantly, the BJP government came to power in 2014 because of support by Dera Sacha Sauda. Even the Punjab and Haryana high court made scathing remarks against the state for allowing such large number of dera followers to gather. The Khattar government, however, defended the gathering of followers in Panchkula, saying that the dera chief would not have appeared before the Panchkula court had his followers not been allowed to gather in Panchkula.

Incidents Of Violence Involving Cow Vigilante Groups

DECEMBER 9, 2015 An unidentified ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ (cow protection vigilante team) shot dead a migrant worker near Bhanukheri village in Karnal district of Haryana. The deceased, Khush Noor, 25, was a native of Ballamajra village in Saharanpur. Another man, Ehsaan, suffered a minor injury MARCH 5, 2016 Mustain, 27, a Muslim from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh had left for Shahabad ( Kurukshetra ) to purchase a buffalo. He was allegedly caught by members of Gau Raksha Dal on the intervening night of March 5 and 6 near Shahabad on suspicion of being a cattle smuggler.

On April 4 , his body was recovered from a nullah near Kurukshetra. Suspecting the role of vigilante groups in Mustain’s murder, the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered CBI to probe his death on May 9 JUNE 2, 2016 A man allegedly smuggling cattle died in Karnal district during a shootout with local Gau Raksha Dal. Three members of the vigilante group were detained by the police. Deceased was identified as Irfan from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh