Chandigarh, March 17 — Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday launched a strong attack on the Congress, accusing it of indulging in ‘headline politics’ and making baseless remarks on the Budget merely to stay in the news. Replying to the discussion on the state Budget during the ongoing session of the State Vidhan Sabha, he said the opposition seems unable to recognise the pace of development in the state and is viewing the Budget through a distorted lens.
The Chief Minister was replying to the discussion on the Budget Estimates 2026–27 during the ongoing Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
Taking a sharp swipe at the Congress, he said, ‘Aarop lagao aur bhaag jao’ has become the key habit of Congress, instead of engaging in constructive discussion. He said the allegations that Congress makes on the streets are repeated in the House. It is unfortunate to see that instead of having constructive debate, Congress chooses to walk out every time. Opposition has neither read the Budget seriously nor understood the provisions made for development, and therefore is in no position to hold any meaningful discussion on the state’s issues. Such conduct exposes the opposition’s lack of seriousness, while the government remains committed to addressing public issues with transparency and accountability, said Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
Congress is resorting to baseless rhetoric merely to stay politically relevant- CM
In a sharp remark, the Chief Minister said the opposition has no substantive issues to raise and is resorting to unfounded criticism. He further said that 2.8 crore people of Haryana look towards this august House with hope, but the irresponsible conduct of the opposition is there for everyone to see. Opposition is not interested in giving constructive suggestions, but is instead focused on spreading misinformation and walking out of the House, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the role being played by the Congress is a matter of concern, as the opposition appears to be merely marking its presence, opposing for the sake of opposition, and spreading falsehoods.
Taking a poetic dig, he said, ‘Jo khud chal nahi paate raaston par, aksar wahi manzilon par sawaal karte hain’. He said that while several members gave meaningful and constructive suggestions during the discussion, which are welcome, some opposition members chose to criticise without facts. He remarked that it appeared as if some members neither listened to the Budget speech delivered on March 2 nor took the effort to read it later, and merely repeated in the House the same allegations they make on the streets.
Targeting the opposition further, the Chief Minister said it may be compelled to appear adversarial to the government, but it would have been better had it contributed constructive suggestions in the larger public interest. He added that leaders driven by political motives often end up questioning outcomes they themselves are unable to achieve.
Congress must not object if Independent sought our support in Rajya Sabha polls- CM
Responding to the Opposition’s allegations regarding the Rajya Sabha elections, the Chief Minister said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had successfully ensured the election of its candidate, Sh. Sanjay Bhatia, to the Rajya Sabha. He asserted that in a democracy, every individual has the right to contest elections, and supporting an Independent candidate is well within democratic norms. “If the opposition had objections, they were free to field their own candidate. Why didn’t they?” he asked, adding that the Independent candidate had approached them for support, which they extended.
Taking strong exception to the remarks made by Dr. Raghuvir Kadian, who termed the election process questionable and alleged vote theft, the Chief Minister said such claims are completely baseless and unfortunate. He emphasized that neither are votes “stolen” nor are there flaws in EVMs, underlining that the strength of democracy lies in its ability to awaken the conscience, if it has been ignored. He termed such allegations as misleading and irresponsible.
Budget prepared with wide public participation, says CM
The Chief Minister said his second Budget has been prepared by incorporating suggestions from all sections of society, with nearly 5,000 inputs received from stakeholders. He was responding to remarks by senior member Dr. Raghuvir Kadian, who termed the Budget speech lengthy. Sh. Saini said there is no prescribed time limit for a Budget speech and such remarks undermine the seriousness of the exercise.
He pointed out that the length of the Budget speech reflects the wide consultation process and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, making it natural for the address to be detailed.
Farmer consultation claims ‘factually incorrect’
Rejecting the opposition’s allegations regarding lack of consultation with farmers, the Chief Minister termed such claims as completely misleading. He informed that a pre-Budget consultation meeting was held on January 15 at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, where 362 participants, including farmers, representatives of farmer organisations, FPOs, progressive farmers, agricultural scientists and researchers, shared their inputs.
Additionally, another consultation meeting was held on January 22 in Kurukshetra, where representatives of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh also participated and gave valuable suggestions related to the farming sector.
He said it is incorrect to suggest that the Budget was shaped only through consultations with industrialists. Such allegations not only lack factual basis but also undermine the contributions of thousands of farmers, experts and stakeholders who actively participated in the process.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the Budget is inclusive in nature and reflects inputs from farmers, labourers, youth, women, industry and every section of society.
