Randeep Surjewala, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini engage in war of words

Parveen Arora

Karnal, June 3

A war of words between Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has intensified following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to quash the Haryana Government’s decision to give additional marks under the socio-economic criteria in government jobs.

More than a year after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted that confining the benefit of the socio-economic criteria and awarding extra marks on the basis of descent or Haryana domicile in recruitment process was violative of the Constitution, a Division Bench quashed it on May 31.

Surjewala claimed that the BJP-led government had ruined the future of nearly 20 lakh youth. He demanded the CM should resign and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSCC) should be dissolved, while the CM Saini said Surjewala should also disclose how the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government played with the lives of jobless youth.

Surjewala criticised the policy and its implementation, claiming that under the guise of Common Eligibility Test (CET) exams, the government has been ruining the future of youth for the past over three years and shattering their hopes.

While interacting with the media, he highlighted the CET policy and said it was created in 2021 and has allegedly transformed into “Common Exploitation Test”.

Surjewala pointed out that the issue has been prevalent since 2019, when advertised posts for patwaris and gram panchayat secretaries were cancelled claiming that all recruitment would now be conducted through the CET.

The 2021-CET policy stated that the exam would be conducted twice a year, but in more than three years, the recruitment process under the exam has not been completed even once. Over 13 lakh youth are awaiting recruitment to Group D posts and 11 lakh to Group C posts, totaling over 20 lakh youth. Meanwhile, lakhs of youth who passed their Class XII and have completed their graduation have also became eligible to appear for the CET exam during this period. However, no CET exam was conducted after November 6, 2022, he asserted.

Surjewala maintained that due to irregularities in the policy, the high court had quashed the results, for which the government is responsible. “The BJP government has ruined the future of 20 lakh youth,” he added. “The CM should resign and the HSCC should be dissolved,” he demanded.

Will approach SC: CM

In response, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini defended the policy and said they would take the matter to the Supreme Court to save the future of lakhs of youth. He accused Surjewala of misleading the youth and said, “Surjewala should also disclose how his Congress government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda played with the lives of youth over jobs.”

“We have ensured transparency in the recruitment and abolished the ‘parchi and kharchi’ system. We have provided jobs on merit basis. The Congress had neglected the youth. Former CM Manohar Lal Khattar had introduced a system of providing five marks on their socio-economic conditions, so that they can get a government job. It has been quashed by the court, but I assure all youth that their jobs are safe and we will take the issue to the Supreme Court,” said Saini.