At a press conference held on Wednesday at the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Chandigarh, MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Aftab Ahmed, MLA and former Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly Ashok Arora, and State Media In-charge Sanjeev Bhardwaj were present. During the interaction, Congress leaders raised sharp questions regarding the state government’s policies, farmers’ welfare, employment, law and order, and the IDFC Bank scam.
Addressing the press conference, former Speaker and MLA Ashok Arora criticized the government over the IDFC Bank scam and said that the arrest of the main accused, Pankaj Aggarwal, appears to be merely a formality. He stated that the arrest of only one individual in such a massive financial scam raises serious questions, particularly when there have been discussions about the involvement of several influential people in the matter.
Ashok Arora said that if the investigation is genuinely fair and transparent, then why have no FIRs been registered against other individuals allegedly involved in the scam, and why has no departmental action been initiated against them? He alleged that the government is attempting to protect influential people while making one person a scapegoat and limiting the scope of the entire case.
He demanded a fair and impartial investigation into the role of all individuals involved in the IDFC Bank scam and called for strict legal and departmental action against any officials or employees found guilty. He said that in matters of corruption, the government should take concrete and decisive action rather than resorting to symbolic measures.
Congress leaders stated that the people of Haryana have fully understood the government’s priorities and will democratically respond to the continued neglect of the interests of youth, farmers, and ordinary citizens.
Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of Opposition Aftab Ahmed said that the BJP government has consistently ignored Haryana’s interests. He alleged that after sidelining the state’s youth in government recruitment, the government is now prioritizing other states at the cost of Haryana’s farmers. He claimed that the decision to provide water to Rajasthan has further increased the concerns of Haryana’s farming community.
He said Haryana is an agrarian state where millions of families depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Therefore, ensuring adequate irrigation facilities and water resources for farmers is the government’s primary responsibility. However, farmers in the state are already struggling with shortages of fertilizers, electricity, and irrigation facilities, while the government appears more focused on political priorities than addressing their concerns.
Aftab Ahmed said that many regions of Haryana are facing water scarcity. At such a time, the government should have safeguarded Haryana’s water rights, but instead, the state’s interests are being ignored. He stated that providing employment opportunities to youth and ensuring adequate water supply for farmers are fundamental responsibilities of the government, yet it has failed on both fronts.
He further said that the Congress Party will continue to raise its voice for the rights of Haryana’s youth and farmers and will not allow any compromise on the state’s interests. He urged the government to immediately ensure adequate irrigation facilities for farmers and take concrete measures to protect Haryana’s water rights.
Commenting on the law and order situation in Haryana, Aftab Ahmed said that an atmosphere of fear and insecurity prevails across the state. Criminals are openly carrying out incidents of gang wars, extortion, and organized crime. He said that today not only ordinary citizens but even elected representatives feel unsafe. Crimes against women are continuously increasing, which, according to him, reflects the government’s failure.
He further alleged that the Chief Minister of Haryana appears more interested in Punjab’s politics than in addressing Haryana’s pressing issues. He questioned whether all of Haryana’s problems have already been resolved. On one hand, people are suffering under the burden of rising prices, while on the other, the deteriorating law and order situation has made life increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens.
Aftab Ahmed said that the people of Haryana now understand the reality of the government’s functioning and will no longer be misled by what he described as false promises and misleading claims. He asserted that the Congress Party is fighting for the issues concerning the people and will continue to do so. He said that Haryana needs change, and that change will certainly come.
