A day after alleging that the government had cancelled an invite to him for 'Bhoomi Pujan' function of National Cancer Institute, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda today said the matter amounts to "breach of privilege" and an "insult" to the country's democratic system.
Attacking the BJP Government, the Congress leader asked "Is it a one-off incident or has it been done deliberately. What happened yesterday was an insult of democratic system and to my constituents?"
"I have not come across another such instance when such a thing happened. The government violated the protocol, they cared little for the established traditions and norms," party's MP from Rohtak said.
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"I want to ask, is it not politics of vendetta, is it not violation of democratic norms, negative politics being pursued and politicisation of projects of national importance being done by the BJP. Is it new face of insensitiveness being shown by the BJP (towards opposition leaders)," son of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said.
The lone Lok Sabha MP of the Congress from Haryana, said, "It is a breach of privilege issue and I will take the matter to Parliament. I will bring the matter before Lok Sabha Speaker...I am confident that Parliament will act to protect right of its MPs."
When asked about against whom he intends to bring the privilege, he said, "I don't want to pin-point any single individual.. There is the Privileges Committee, things will be decided".
He also alleged that two Congress MLAs-Raghubir Singh Kadian and Geeta Bhukkal--who belong to the area where the project is to come up, were also not extended an invite for the function.
Notably, in Jhajjar yesterday, Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar performed 'Bhoomi Pujan', with the Central Minister stating that the work of Rs 2,035 crore National Cancer Institute would be completed in 27 months and it would have the facility of 710 beds.
Deepender said that people of Haryana knew that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone of the National Cancer Institute project nearly two years ago and the present government was only trying to take credit for the same.
"The work on the building of National Cancer Institute would have been taken up during the UPA government's time itself, but Model Code of Conduct came into force as the Lok Sabha polls were announced in early 2014," Deepender said.
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Deepender claimed that there were at least 48 major
projects approved during previous UPA Government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "that are either lagging due to lack of interest or have been politicised or at standstill for the last 19 months of the Modi government".
About the efforts he made for the project, he said, "Ever since Modi government came to power, I repeatedly raised question in the Parliament and even met Health Minister J P Nadda requesting that work on completion of the national cancer institute project should be taken up immediately.
In between, a proposal came that Modi would re-lay a new foundation stone of the project, to which I raised strong objections, reasoning that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already laid the foundation stone. Then they came up with another proposal of Bhoomi Pujan," the MP said.
When asked who had invited him for yesterday's function earlier, he said, "I had an invite from the AIIMS Director, I also had an invite from the Central government. Recently, on two occasions Nadda ji told me that I should positively come for the function.
Among other dignitaries who were to grace the occasion, my name as area MP was there in the newspaper advertisements issued by the Centre. However, the Haryana government's advertisements for the function did not mention my name."
"Still, I ignored this and thought I must go as the advertisements mentioned that all citizens were also cordially invited. Moreover, I am emotionally connected with the project having fought to bring it to my State during UPA's time.
As I was preparing to leave for the function yesterday, I received a call from the Deputy Commissioner, Jhajjar, who told me that I should not come since my invite had been cancelled," he said.
"It came as a shock to me that everyone was invited barring the MP who toiled hard to bring the prestigious project to Haryana. At the time when this project was given to Haryana, there was a strong demand from the MPs of UP, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, who wanted it to be set up there, but we fought hard for getting it for our state," Hooda said.
Hooda alleged that "the reason being given from the government's side was that if MP would come, a large number of people would also accompany him for the function, which they wanted to avoid".
He said that ever since BJP Government assumed power at the Centre, several projects "have become victim of politics and work has either stopped or projects have been dumped altogether.
