Former Haryana CM Hooda condemns Use of force against Rahul Gandhi and opposition leaders

Chandigarh, July 22, 2026: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda strongly condemned the use of force against Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders.
Hooda stated that staging peaceful protests regarding public issues is both the right and the responsibility of every citizen and public representative. The demands made by students and the opposition are entirely legitimate. “Today, the entire nation is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, yet the BJP government at the Centre remains adamant,” he said.
“Instead of seeking his resignation, the government is attempting to suppress the voices of the opposition and the public,” he added.
Talking to journalists, Hooda remarked that the BJP has turned Haryana into a hub for paper leaks. “As a responsible opposition, the Congress has been consistently raising this issue for nearly 12 years,” he said.
“While the government staged a charade of an investigation, neither was the inquiry report ever made public nor was any action taken against the culprits. In essence, whether in Haryana or at the Centre, the government is shielding those responsible for paper leaks. Consequently, it is crucial to fix government accountability,” he added.
He said this is why students across the country are agitating for reforms in the examination process. Instead of engaging with them and accepting their demands, the government is resorting to lathi-charges, which is condemnable. Hooda noted that, just as it is doing nationwide, the Congress is raising this issue in Haryana—from the streets to the legislative assembly.
Responding to questions regarding farmers, he stated that no agricultural product deal with the United States could possibly be in India's interest. He added that he would comment in detail only after all the terms and provisions of the deal are revealed. “For now, the government must fulfill the promises made to farmers and provide a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP),” he stated.
Regarding the BJP's protests at Congress headquarters, Bhupinder Singh Hooda described them as an attempt to divert attention from the real issues. The BJP’s situation has now become akin to the saying, "A frustrated cat scratches the pillar." It needs to answer for the paper leak, yet it is staging protests against the opposition. This is pure political theatrics, he said.