Former CM Hooda alleges BJP of leaving Haryana Lagging in Every Sector; and demands Compensation to Farmers for Losses Caused by Unseasonal Rains

Rohtak, March 23, 2026: Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the BJP government has pushed Haryana to a situation where it is lagging behind in every sector.

Addressing a press conference at his D-Park residence, Hooda cited various reports and statistics, and noted that according to the Central Government's Social Progress Index, Haryana—with a score of 33 points—has emerged as the most unsafe state in the country. According to the India Justice Report, the ranking of the Haryana Police has plummeted from the 8th position to the 14th position over the last five years.

“Among the 18 major states, the Haryana Police currently ranks 14th. Furthermore, according to a report by the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau), cases of corruption have surged by 187% over the past three years, pushing Haryana to the 6th position in terms of corruption,” he said.

“Similarly, the situation in the education sector remains dismal. In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings released by the Union Ministry of Education, not a single university from Haryana managed to secure a spot within the top 100. In the Happiness Index, Haryana ranks 16th nationwide,” he added.

“In the 'State on Performance-Based Indicators' report (2025-26), published by the Ministry of Rural Development, Haryana stands at the 11th position. According to NITI Aayog's SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Report for 2023-24, Haryana ranks 14th across the entire country. Haryana also holds the 14th position among 18 states in NITI Aayog's Fiscal Health Index,” he pointed out.

Hooda cited a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and said that the report shows that Haryana ranks fourth in the country regarding farmer indebtedness, with an average debt burden of ₹1,82,922 per farming family. “In NITI Aayog's Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 report, Haryana has slipped to the 10th position in the overall rankings, a decline from its 5th position in the EPI 2021 report. The state's score has dropped from 63.55 to 55.01, a testament to the government's policy failures,” he said.

The former Chief Minister alleged that industries are fleeing Haryana due to the BJP government's flawed policies. “According to government data, 1,446 factories have either shut down or relocated since 2018-19. Over the last five years, Haryana's industrial sector has witnessed a decline of 12.2%. According to 2024 data from the CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy), the youth unemployment rate in Haryana stands at nearly 37%, the highest in the country,” he said.

Hooda said that the intermittent, unseasonal rains witnessed recently have caused severe damage to the wheat and mustard crops. The government must immediately conduct a special ‘Girdawari’ (crop damage assessment) and provide compensation to the farmers. Furthermore, all necessary arrangements for crop procurement must be streamlined.

He alleged that instead of facilitating farmers, the BJP government is harassing them. “New rules are being framed for crop procurement—such as the stipulation that only the farmer whose name is registered on the portal (i.e., the registered landholder) is permitted to bring their produce to the ‘mandi’ (market). However, in farming families, the responsibility of visiting the ‘mandi’ is often entrusted to any member of the family.

“In many instances, the land is registered in the names of the women of the family; how, then, are they expected to drive a tractor to the ‘mandi’ and wait there for days on end for their produce to be procured,” he questioned.

Hooda asserted that a major scam has taken place in potato procurement, resulting in potatoes being sold off at a distress price of just 50 paise per kilogram. Similarly, a scam occurred during paddy procurement; yet, only lower-level employees are being implicated, while the actual culprits behind the scam are those occupying high-ranking positions. He remarked that scams are occurring in rapid succession under the BJP government.

Raising questions regarding the nationwide shortage of cooking gas, Hooda asked that if the government claims that there is no shortage, then why are people queuing up at various locations? He also held the BJP government responsible for the shortage of cooking gas in Haryana, noting that the government has failed to provide any clarification regarding the situation.

Responding to a question concerning the Rajya Sabha elections, Hooda stated that a minimum of 31 votes were required to secure a single seat, and Congress legislators cast 32 votes in favor of the party. However, he alleged that the Returning Officer conspired with the BJP and invalidated four of their votes. Furthermore, the party High Command has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the five Congress members who engaged in cross-voting.

Speaking on the INLD, he remarked that the party has once again demonstrated through the Rajya Sabha elections that it will never oppose the BJP. Consequently, they had initially decided to cast their votes in favor of the BJP-backed candidate this time as well. However, at the very last moment—upon realizing that a Congress victory was inevitable—the INLD chose to abstain from voting.