Rohtak: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said the state’s youth are facing challenges linked to drug abuse, firearms and migration, which he attributed to what he described as the policies and employment situation under the BJP government.
Hooda made the remarks during his visit to several villages in his Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi Assembly constituency, including Pakasma, Kasrenti, Morkheri, Atayal, Dhatod and Ghizhi, as part of his ongoing village outreach programme.
According to Hooda, unemployment and lack of job opportunities are pushing some young people towards drugs and crime, while others are leaving Haryana or the country in search of employment.
“This is because the government has pushed Haryana to the number one spot in unemployment. Frustrated by joblessness, young people are increasingly falling prey to the clutches of drug abuse and crime. Those who manage to escape this quagmire are forced to leave the state or the country in search of employment,” he said.
Hooda Seeks Public Views on Future Political Course
During his village visits, Hooda said he was seeking people’s guidance on his future political course.
He told villagers that if they wanted him to remain at home, he would do so, but if they wanted him to launch another political struggle against the BJP, he would do so with full vigour.
Villagers reportedly responded by raising their hands in support and urged him to begin a fresh political campaign against the BJP.
Hooda also criticised the BJP government and alleged that people across Haryana had become disillusioned with its functioning. He accused the BJP of coming to power through what he described as “vote theft” and alleged collusion with the Election Commission.
These claims are political allegations made by Hooda and were not independently established in the statement.
Congress-Era Projects Cited by Hooda
Hooda contrasted the BJP government’s record with the work carried out during the Congress government’s tenure from 2005 to 2014.
He listed several educational, medical and other institutions that he said were established during that period. These included the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Panchkula, National Institute of Design in Kurukshetra and Kalpana Chawla Medical College in Karnal.
In Sonipat, Hooda cited Bhagat Phool Singh University for Women, a medical college, an IIT extension centre, IIIT, the National Institute of Food Technology, Rajiv Gandhi Education City and National Law University, among other institutions.
For Rohtak, he mentioned IIM Rohtak, the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Footwear Design and Development Institute and Institute of Hotel Management. In Jhajjar, he highlighted AIIMS and the National Cancer Institute.
He also cited the Rohtak-Rewari and Jind-Sonipat railway lines, approval for the Hisar railway line and metro connectivity to four cities as projects undertaken during the Congress government’s tenure.
Hooda said the BJP government had no comparable achievement to showcase in Haryana, a claim that represents his assessment of the state’s development record.
The remarks came during Hooda’s broader village outreach programme, through which he has been meeting residents and party workers and seeking feedback on political and public issues.