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At Karnal event, Khattar strikes emotional chord with Punjabis
Khattar was in Karnal to chair a late night gathering during Punjabi Sammelan at Punjabi dharamshala on Wednesday, a day ahead of the last day of campaigning.
Union power minister and former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar made an emotional appeal to the Punjabi community reminding them not to forget the “insult they faced at the hands of the Congress when the opposition party called him names” after being elected to the top post.
Khattar was in Karnal to chair a late night gathering during Punjabi Sammelan at Punjabi dharamshala on Wednesday, a day ahead of the last day of campaigning.
The minister also appealed to vote for his former media coordinator and party candidate Jagmohan Anand as a reply to “those who insulted the Punjabis”.
“As chief minister for 9.5 years, I had to maintain the dignity due to my constitutional oath, but now I’m free to speak. The Congress, their senior leaders, insulted the community through me,” he said in his address.
“They said who is this Khattar and promised to send me from where I came. Will the community accept this insult? If you won’t, then what is the right time? In democracy, vote ki chot is the best answer. Remember this on 5th (October),” he added.
The former CM claimed that the opposition party not only insulted the Punjabis, but also other communities, while naming Sirsa MP Kumari Selja and its former state president (now a BJP leader) Ashok Tanwar.
Khattar said a Congress nominee recently also vowed to “wipe out certain people out of his constituency, if he wins”.
“How can an MLA dare to do so? I was in that area and assured the people that I wouldn’t let someone ruin the brotherhood of Haryana,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the minister was at Ferozepur Jhirka of Mewat region to campaign for BJP candidate Nasim Ahmed. Here, nearly a fortnight ago, Congress nominee Maman Khan had allegedly told a gathering that as soon as the Congress government is formed, he will ensure that certain people will have to leave Mewat.
Khan is an accused in the Nuh violence and the video of his speech was shared by the Haryana BJP on X.
Meanwhile, the Karnal Congress unit denied Khattar’s allegations.
At a press conference, district Congress coordinator Tarlochan Singh said, “Since Khattar entered Karnal, he has aimed to spoil the brotherhood. Now with this speech, there could be a long-lasting impact, and results won’t be favourable for society.”
