Former CM Hooda Leads Congress Delegation to Governor, Seeks Action Over ‘Manhandling’ of MLAs

Rohtak/Chandigarh, August 31, 2026: A Congress delegation led by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday submitted a memorandum to Haryana Governor, seeking an impartial inquiry and action over the alleged manhandling and misconduct of Congress MLAs during their protest outside the Assembly on August 27.

The delegation also urged the Governor to take steps to safeguard the dignity and democratic rights of elected representatives and prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Hooda apprised the Governor of the incident and presented photographs and videos purportedly showing police personnel allegedly manhandling and misbehaving with Congress MLAs during their peaceful protest.

The Congress MLAs had taken out a march on the opening day of the Assembly session to highlight issues including unemployment, inflation, law and order, the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) scheme, the sanitation workers’ strike, alleged theft of temple donations, paper leaks and caste-related remarks against the Congress national president.

Hooda said the protest had been pre-scheduled and was being conducted peacefully, with MLAs carrying placards and raising slogans. He claimed that the legislators had crossed security checks conducted by the CISF and Chandigarh Police and reached the entry point of the Assembly complex without any untoward incident.

“The massive presence of Haryana Police at the entry point was surprising and unprecedented. We were forcibly stopped and the MLAs were manhandled,” Hooda alleged.

He questioned the deployment of police to stop elected representatives from entering the Assembly premises, saying the action amounted to interference in the autonomy and dignity of the legislature.

Hooda further alleged that neither the Speaker nor the Leader of the House gave a satisfactory explanation about under whose orders and under which rule the Congress legislators were stopped.

He said the Congress strongly opposed what he termed a “new precedent” of using police force to regulate the movement of elected representatives. “Running the House with the help of the police force makes a mockery of democracy,” he said.

The former Chief Minister maintained that the protest involved only slogans and placards and did not violate the rules or decorum of the Assembly. He said similar peaceful demonstrations had taken place in the past outside the Assembly entrance and argued that such protests are part of democratic practice.

Hooda said the Legislative Assembly represents the people’s authority and must remain a forum for free debate, representation and constitutional values. While acknowledging the need for security and discipline around the Assembly, he said these arrangements could not be used to curtail the dignity and democratic rights of elected MLAs.

The Congress delegation urged the Governor, as the constitutional head of Haryana, to take immediate cognizance of the matter, order an impartial inquiry and ensure action against those found responsible.

It also sought an institutional protocol governing the treatment and movement of elected representatives during Assembly sessions and protests, saying clear safeguards were needed to uphold the dignity and prestige of MLAs and the legislature.