Haryana govt failed in ensuring security to people: Hooda on violence

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday slammed the BJP-JJP government over the violence in Nuh district, accusing it of failing in its responsibility of ensuring security to the people.

He said the Congress will raise the issue in the assembly.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Muslim-dominated Nuh when a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by mobs on Monday and later spread to Gurugram and its adjoining areas.

"A large number of people have been affected by this violence. Some houses and shops were attacked and people lost their lives. The state's economy will also be affected due to the breakdown of law and order," Hooda said.

It is the government's responsibility to provide security to the people. But the present government has "failed" to do so, the Congress leader said in a party release.

"Why has this situation come up today? The right steps were not taken at the right time to stop the violence despite the local police giving the inputs to the government several days ago. The result of this failure was seen in the form of riots," he said.

The government's priority now should be to ensure strict punishment for the culprits and to restore peace and brotherhood, Hooda said.

Haryana authorities on Saturday razed dozens of illegal structures on the third day of the demolition drive in the violence-hit Nuh district, with officials saying some of them were owned by those allegedly involved in the recent clashes.

The number of people arrested has gone up to 216, while 80 people have been taken into preventive detention and 104 FIRs registered so far, according to Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij.

Hooda also hailed the Supreme Court ruling staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark.

Gandhi on Friday got a huge relief from the Supreme Court after it stayed his conviction in the defamation case and paved the way for his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP.