Haryana Cong MLAs, ex-PCC chiefs meet Shinde

Haryana Congress MLAs today met senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde to give their versions in the ongoing investigation into the manhandling of state party chief Ashok Tanwar here on October 6.
Except for former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress MLA from Kaithal Randeep Singh Surjewala, all other party MLAs met Shinde at the AICC headquarters here.
The MLAs are learnt to have described the October 6 incident as "unfortunate" but have also regretted that the same could have been handled better than it was by the state leadership.
Sources said the legislators told Shinde that the incident had led to "deep divisions" in the state Congress and this has harmed the party's interests in Haryana, where the party should have been fighting the ruling BJP with unity.

It it learnt that the MLAs also objected to the manner of working of PCC chief Ashok Tanwar and alleged that he indulged in personal politics at the site of clashes that led to injuries to him.
The MLAs also brought up issue of subsequent burning of Hooda's effigies in Haryana by Tanwar's supporters and said action needed to be taken against such people who were defaming an ex-CM and a senior Congress leader.

MLAs are learnt to have expressed concern over growing acrimony in the state unit and sought corrective action from the leadership, while maintaining that the October 6 incident should have been handled better by both Tanwar and Congress Legislature Party leader of Haryana Kiran Choudhry.

Shinde separately also met a delegation of SC leaders from Haryana and also other victims of the October 6 clash besides meeting two former Haryana Congress chiefs including Phool Chand Mullana.
In a meeting that lasted over two hours, sources said the MLAs told Shinde that Tanwar and Congress Legislature Party Leader Kiran Choudhry had "vitiated the atmosphere so much that it was no longer possible or conducive for them to work with the present state dispensation."
Shinde had met Tanwar, Kiran Choudhry, Bhupinder Hooda and his son and MP Deepender Hooda yesterday to probe what had happened on October 6.