CM Saini, Haryana Congress trade barbs over youth and jobs

The chief minister cited allegations in Punjab excise inspector recruitment and action against NTA officials to defend the government’s record.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday accused the Congress of indulging in “politics in the name of youth” and warning that the future of young people cannot be sacrificed for political gains.

The exchange came during a media interaction held alongside a grievance redressal committee meeting in Gurugram on Saturday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Addressing the media during a redressal meeting, Saini said the Opposition party, having failed the youth during its decades in power, now had no substantive issues to raise and was attempting to mislead the younger generation.

“The Congress, which remained in power for years, should first explain the unemployment, corruption and recruitment irregularities that marked its tenure,” the chief minister said, asserting that the BJP government would not tolerate any attempt to jeopardise the future of youth for political considerations.

He alleged that government jobs during the Congress regime were distributed through favouritism and that several recruitment processes had to be stayed following judicial intervention. “The party that played with the future of the youth is now trying to do politics in their name,” he added.

Taking aim at the Congress and other constituents of the INDIA bloc, Saini said they had no real public issues to highlight and were instead trying to exploit the aspirations of young people.

Referring to the recent recruitment of excise inspectors in Punjab, the CM pointed to allegations of irregularities in the selection process and described such incidents as a grave injustice to the youth. He said the Congress should answer questions on such cases before seeking to criticise others.

Further, Saini extended credits to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with placing the welfare and future of the country’s youth at the centre of policymaking. He said both the Union and Haryana governments had taken several landmark decisions over the past 12 years to empower young people, promote self-reliance and expand employment opportunities. He also urged the Congress to present an account of the measures it had undertaken for youth welfare during its tenure.

Citing action taken against officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Saini said the government had demonstrated its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in recruitment and examinations.

Responding to the chief minister’s remarks, district Congress (Urban) president Pankaj Dawar said the BJP government was trying to divert attention from its failure to address unemployment and recruitment-related concerns in Haryana.

“The youth of Haryana are asking for jobs, transparent recruitment and opportunities, not political speeches. If the BJP has done so much for the youth, it should explain why thousands of young people continue to protest over recruitment delays, paper leaks and rising unemployment,” Dawar said.

He added that the state government should answer questions on vacant government posts, repeated examination irregularities and the lack of employment opportunities. “The BJP is trying to shift the focus from its own shortcomings,” he said.