Faridabad, September 9
In an unprecedented show of unity at the ‘Haryana Bachao Rally’ of the Congress, organised by former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, all speakers, including senior party leaders of the national and state level gave a call to throw the Chautala government out of power for its alleged misrule.

Leaders of all ‘factions’ of the Haryana Congress, including the HPCC chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Mr Birender Singh, participated in the rally.

The rally, fourth state-level public meeting of the Congress in the past six months, was largely attended.

While Mr Hooda and Mr Bhajan Lal spoke of several promises if Congress came to power in the state, the former HPCC chief, Mr Birender Singh, chose to remind the party leaders of the struggle that was required to win the confidence of people. He said Congress leaders must be prepared to come out on roads and to go to jails in the process.

Senior national-level leaders of the party, including Kanwar Natwar Singh, Kamalnath, members, central working committee of the Congress, Mrs Mohsina Kidwai, in charge, Haryana affairs, Mr Anil Shastri, Mr Salman Khursheed and Mrs Rama Pilot who attended the rally, called upon the people to get behind the party to bring a change both at the Centre and in Haryana.

Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was aware of the ‘limelight’ on Mr Bhajan Lal, in his address said the question was not, who would be the Chief Minister, the question was to bring Congress back to power and end the ‘misrule’ of the Chautala government and for this he was prepared to go to any extent. He said the ‘chiefministership’ would be decided by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, once party got the mandate.

The chief guest and organiser of the rally, Mr Bhajan Lal, reiterated that the party would come to power in Haryana soon. Appealing to the people to extend their support to the party, he said the Chautala government could be forced out of power soon. Counting upon the decisions of the present government, which he said had made the life of a common man miserable, he announced that several of the steps taken by the Chautala regime would be reversed. He also promised to lower various taxes, halt replacing of power meters and reinstatement of all government employees, including 1600 policemen, who lost their job in recent times. Mr Bhajan Lal also asked the central leadership to revive membership of leaders like Mr Subhash Batra, Mr Bachan Singh Arya and Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, all considered his staunch supporters.