Former Haryana CM Hooda flags law and order concerns, questions Agniveer scheme

Rohtak, November 6, 2026: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday criticised the BJP government over the law and order situation in the state, saying Union Home Minister Amit Shah should have addressed the issue during his Haryana visit.
Hooda cited the Centre's Social Progress Index and NCRB data to claim that Haryana was among the country's most unsafe states, with a high incidence of rape, murder, kidnapping, extortion and firing cases. He alleged that the BJP government had no significant achievements to showcase despite being in power for 12 years.
Addressing a press conference at his Rohtak residence, Hooda also questioned the ruling party's decision to hold protests against the Opposition, calling it an unprecedented move. "It is like the thief accusing the policeman," he remarked, adding that the BJP's own call to save democracy reflected the seriousness of the situation.
Highlighting Haryana's challenges as the state completes 60 years of its formation, Hooda said nearly 80 criminal gangs were active in the state. He also expressed concern over Haryana slipping to the 14th position in fiscal health, 15th in debt-related rankings and 11th in Sustainable Development Goals. Unemployment, he said, remained another major concern.
Recalling the state's development journey, Hooda said Haryana had made significant progress since its formation in 1966, when its per capita income was around Rs 540. He claimed that the Congress government, particularly during its 2005-2014 tenure, established several major educational, medical and research institutions, including IIM Rohtak, AIIMS and the National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar, Bhagat Phool Singh Women's University, Central University of Haryana and several other universities and technical institutions.
He also highlighted the establishment of major power projects, including four thermal power plants and a nuclear power plant, alleging that the BJP government had failed to bring comparable institutions or major projects to the state.
Targeting the Agnipath scheme, Hooda said Haryana had suffered the most because of the new recruitment policy. He claimed that annual Army recruitment from the state had declined from around 5,500 before the scheme to nearly 950 after its implementation.
Hooda reiterated that the Congress had opposed the Agnipath scheme from the beginning, arguing that it was neither in the interest of the country nor the armed forces. He demanded that Agniveers be absorbed as regular soldiers without additional conditions, with full service tenure, salaries, allowances, facilities and pension benefits.
Questioning the reported proposal to grant Agniveers a two-year extension before considering regularisation, he said imposing further eligibility conditions on those who had already served six years was unjustified. He also said the government's recent changes to the scheme came only after sustained opposition.