Hooda accuses BJP govt of giving step-motherly treatment to Sonipat

Sonipat, Sep 20 (PTI) Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday alleged the BJP government in the state accorded step-motherly treatment to Sonipat and development works came to a standstill during the saffron party's 10-year rule.
    He claimed that when the Congress was in power in the state, the Sonipat region and the entire state moved forward in development works.
    But development has come to a standstill during the 10 years of the BJP's rule, the senior Congress leader said while addressing 11 public meetings in three assembly constituencies of Sonipat district on Friday.
    Haryana goes to polls on October 5 and results will be declared on October 8.
    Institutes such as a medical college, women's university, the Rajiv Gandhi Education City, National Law University, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management and Chaudhary Chhotu Ram Government College of Engineering came up in Sonipat during the Congress' rule, he said.
    "It was during the Congress government that industries picked up pace and thousands of jobs were created. The BJP took votes from the people of Sonipat but gave them step-motherly treatment for 10 years and did not do a single development work.
    "Even the rail coach factory approved during the Congress tenure was cancelled by the BJP government," Hooda claimed.
    Sonipat MP Pandit Satpal Brahmachari was also present with Hooda during the campaign trail.
    Brahmachari said, "If you want to make Haryana number one again, then send every Congress candidate to the Assembly by electing them".
    Addressing the people, Hooda alleged that the BJP was running a government of "lies and false promises".
    "The BJP came to power by lying about doubling the income of farmers by 2022. But far from doubling the income, input costs doubled for farmers. A tax was also imposed on the agricultural equipment.
    "Due to the dictatorial attitude of the BJP government, 750 farmers were martyred in the farmers movement (against the now-repealed farm laws). Haryana will not forget those martyrdoms and will work to oust the BJP from power in the elections," he said.
    The senior Congress leader said the direct contest in the elections is between his party and the BJP.
    "BJP has conspired and fielded 'vote katu' (vote-cutter) candidates at many places. Stay away from these vote-cutters and send Congress candidates to the Assembly," he urged the people.
    Hooda reiterated the Congress' poll promises and said people were yearning to bring his party to power in the state.
    The Congress candidate from Gohana, Jagbir Malik, said that during the Congress' rule works worth thousands of crores of rupees were done in Sonipat.
    "Bhagat Phool Singh University was built at a cost of Rs 850 crore, we got the process to get Industrial Model Township in Kharkhoda approved started. The Congress government also got the Sonipat to Jind railway line and a junction in Gohana built," he said.
    He also claimed that it was during the Congress government in Haryana that farmers got the highest price for their crops.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)