Tanwar urges Khattar to take action against Hooda’s security personnel

Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar on Saturday urged chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to ensure action against security personnel of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who were involved in an assault on him and his supporters in New Delhi on October 6.

Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar on Saturday urged chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to ensure action against security personnel of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who were involved in an assault on him and his supporters in New Delhi on October 6.

Khattar had visited Tanwar at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi to inquire after his health after he was injured in the head in the clash between supporters of the two factions of the Congress.

Khattar said the ideologies of two different political parties might differ but humanity demanded one should extend support to others in times of trouble. He, however, described it as an internal matter of the Congress.

The chief minister also interacted with state Congress president’s wife Avantika Tanwar who was also at the hospital.

Meanwhile, sources said Tanwar was shifted to Ganga Ram hospital later in the day.

The Delhi police had registered a case on Friday night against several persons, including security personnel of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a day after a clash between his supporters and those of Hooda.

The case was registered under Sections 523 (causing simple injuries) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC on the complaint of one Navdeep Singh Dalal, a supporter of Tanwar, who accused Satish Rathi, personal security officer (PSO) of Hooda, Satyawan Pehlwan, a resident of village Sanghi, Virender Rao, son of Dharampal Rao (former MLA, Badshahpur), Wazir Singh and Kala, said to be security guards of Bittu Hooda, nephew of former chief minister, and 30 to 40 others.

When contacted, Hooda told HT that he only had sent his security personnel Rathi to stop the workers from fighting among one another.

“I never approve of any such fights. It should not have happened and it is uncalled for and unfortunate,” he said and added that it could have happened because of over-enthusiasm of some workers.

MAJORITY MLAs SUPPORT HOODA

Meanwhile, 14 of the 19 Congress MLAs met Hooda and also called on AICC general secretary and incharge of Haryana party affairs Kamal Nath. They strongly defended Hooda, who claimed he had nothing to do with the incident. Talking to HT, several MLAs said they told Kamal Nath that it was a conspiracy of anti-Congress people to show Hooda in bad light and bring bad name to the party. They held that it was evidently triggered by some people by intentionally provoking some workers. They sought stern action against the people responsible for the incident so that the party remained united and strong. Former assembly speaker Kuldeep Sharma, MLAs Karan Dalal and Geeta Bhukkal, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and Rajya Sabha member Shadilal Batra were in the delegation which met Kamal Nath. Besides Hooda, the other four MLAs who were not part of the delegation were senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Kiran Choudhary, Kuldeep Bishnoi and Renuka Bishnoi.