The Tribune Interview: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini dares Congress to name OBC as CM candidate for upcoming assembly elections

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has dared the Congress to name an OBC as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. Terming former minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as “anti-Dalit’, Saini alleged that he could not see beyond his MP-son Deepender. He also reiterated his commitment to the welfare of farmers and ex-Agniveers.

In an interview with The Tribune’s Editor-in-Chief Jyoti Malhotra, Chief of Bureau (Haryana) Geetanjali Gayatri and Special Correspondent Pradeep Sharma for the digital show #DecodeHaryana, Saini fielded a volley of questions on a variety of issues, including reported factionalism in the BJP, his relations with his “guru” and former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, rising crime graph, honour killings besides BJP’s plans for forthcoming assembly elections in Haryana.

You have recently announced MSP for 24 crops. However, farmers are terming it as not enough. Your comments?

The BJP’s ‘double engine’ government has taken solid steps for the welfare of the farming community since 2014. The Congress owes an explanation to the people of Haryana what it has done for farmers in the last 60 years except procuring wheat and paddy at the MSP.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP lost five seats as compared to the 2019 poll. Has the party learnt any lessons?

The BJP lost three seats by thin margin only. The Congress, especially its leader Rahul Gandhi created a false narrative of BJP changing the Constitution and abolishing reservation if voted to power with more than 400 seats. Haryana’s simple people were taken for a ride by this false narrative. We are now convincing the people that there is no threat to the Constitution as PM Narendra Modi can never think of altering the Constitution, a sacred document dear to his heart.

Did people in Haryana also believe in Congress’ narrative which resulted in loss of five seats to the BJP?

Yes, our simple people also believed in the Congress narrative to certain extent. However, we are convincing there people that the Constitution is safe in the hands of Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Are you talking this message to the people?

Our workers are talking this to the people. In fact, Congress’ very foundation is based on falsehood and the party would be exposed in the assembly polls. The Congress is anti-Dalit. See how it has treated senior Dalit leader Ashok Tanwar. The Congress, especially Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will hand out the same treatment to the newly-elected MP Kumari Selja.

But Tanwar is now in the BJP?

The BJP provided safe sanctuary and dignity to Tanwar which he failed to find in the Congress. We made him fight Lok Sabha polls. Hooda can sacrifice any big Congress leader at the altar of promoting his son Deepender. Kumar Selja is set to be meted out the same treatment which Hooda meted to Tanwar. This is Hooda’s deep rooted conspiracy.

How do you substantiate this?

Kumari Selja’s photos do not find a space in Hooda’s posters and they do not share share stage. Hooda did not even campaign for her in Sirsa during the Lok Sabha elections.

Are you saying that the Congress is a divided house?

Yes, the Congress is a divided house.

What about factionalism in the BJP especially faction led by Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh?

There is absolutely no factionalism in the BJP. All senior leaders jointly launched the election campaign of the party for the assembly polls from Kurukshetra recently. Haryana will have Modi government and lotus will bloom for the third time in Haryana.

What do mean by Modi government in Haryana?

I am a “Modi Bhakt”. We are forming the government in Haryana on Modi’s name. The double engine government post-assembly polls will fulfil the aspirations of the Haryanvis.

So you are putting up a united face before the electorate with all leaders, including Rao Inderjit Singh?

Yes, Rao Inderjit Singh is a senior leader and will be at the forefront of the election campaign. We take his guidance at regular intervals to fine-tune our election strategy.

You say PM Modi is your mentor but the Opposition alleges that you have a “guru-chela’ relationship with ex-CM Manohar Lal Khattar. How do you respond to that?

Khattar Sahib is my “Guru”. He has hand held me from the start of my political career. The Opposition allegation is the offshoot of their dynastic mindset. The BJP promotes ordinary workers while in the Congress, sons and grandsons get promoted. Ask Rahul Gandhi or Hooda to declare an OBC as the chief ministerial candidate.

Are you trying to play the caste card?

No I am not saying that. For decades, the OBCs have been at the margins of the mainstream politics in Haryana, It is Modi and the BJP which have honoured the OBCs. Why should not the OBCs sing paeans to Modi for the elevating  an OBC as the chief minister?  Can Hooda or and for that matter Gandhi family name anybody as their leader.

But the Congress also have big leaders like Kumari Selja?

Though she won on her own strength, yet Kumari Selja is repeatedly being sidelined by Hooda.

You launched a big ad campaign ‘non-stop Haryana’ which is termed as ‘full-stop Haryana’ by the Opposition. With rise in crime graph and anti-incumbency against BJP on which issues the party will go to the polls?

Statistics revealed that during the Hooda regime from 2004-2014, crime was much more as compared to the BJP regime from 2014 onwards. Not many FIRs were registered during the Congress rules. We made the provision of zero FIRs under which anybody can lodge an FIR online from the comforts of their home. During the Congress rule, several of atrocities on Dalits like in Mirchpur and Gohana were reported forcing them to flee their residences. It was the BJP government which rehabilitated the victims of those violent incidents.

But during a recent police review meeting you reportedly pulled up the police officials for not registering FIRs in certain extortion cases?

No, that’s not true. I have instructed the police officials to register the FIRs promptly. I am available 24X7 for any complaints of negligence against any police official. In any case, criminals will be dealt with iron hand.

Would the BJP allocate tickets on caste line?

This falls under the ambit of the Central Parliamentary Board and winniability of the candidate will be sole criteria for the selection of party candidates

But the BJP does not have many Jat leaders?

We have OP Dhankar,Capt Abhimanyu, Subhash Barala and Dharambir Singh as Jat leaders. In fact, there is a long chain of Jat leaders in the BJP. In Congress they only have Bhupinder Singh and Deepender Hooda as Jat leaders. Even Kiran Chaudhry has left them and joined the BJP.

Why did Kiran join the BJP?

Its soley because of Bhupinder Hooda as senior leader feel ignored in the Congress with Hooda always pitching for his son.

However, after joining the BJP all senior Congress leaders feel ‘suffocafted’ as is the case of Birender Singh. How do you respond to that?

The BJP gave Birender Singh all due respect—he was made a Union Minister; his son became a MP while his wife remained an MLA. After re-joining the Congress, he could not even manage a Lok Sabha ticket for the family.

What are your comments on honour killings in Haryana especially in Sirsa and Kaithal?

This is an individual issue and state did not come into the picture. If we do not punish the guilty after a crime is committed, then the government is responsible. If that is not the case and the accused individual is put behind bars, it is unfair to blame the government. Law takes its own course in such cases.

Did Agniveer issue affect the political fortune of the BJP in the Lok Sabha election?

The Congress launched a misinformation campaign on the Agniveer issue in the polls. The government is committed to their well-being. The government has made provision of quota for the Agniveers in the government jobs. All 100 per cent Agniveers would be rehabilitated—whether in government jobs or in the business.

Your comments on BJP’s ‘non-stop Haryana’ versus Congress’ ‘full-stop Haryana’?

The BJP is taking Haryana on the higher trajectory of growth through its ‘non-stop Haryana’ slogan. It is ‘full-stop Congress’ in the wake of rampant factionalism within the party. Senior leaders have devoted their entire life to the Congress ideology. However, the Congress had been reduced to a ‘baap-beta’ party. Big Congress leaders are approaching me. In this context, Bhupinder Hooda had to camp at the residence of a senior leader to dissuade him from leaving the Congress. Let Rahul Gandhi and Hooda name an OBC leader as party’s chief ministerial candidate. I am sure they would not do it.

With direct fight between the Congress and the BJP in the offing, how do you see the role of other parties in assembly polls?

The BJP will go alone in the assembly polls. We have alliance with 2.8 crore people of Haryana. They are our God.

That means your break with former alliance partner JJP is permanent?

We entered into alliance with the JJP after we fell short of numbers post-2019 assembly polls. We wanted to provide a transparent and stable government to the people. Experience shows that wherever there is a Congress government, corruption increases. However, wherever there is the BJP government, the pace of development increases.