BJP, Congress trade barbs over law and order in Haryana during Assembly debate

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], September 16 (HBTV): A heated debate unfolded in the Haryana Assembly as the opposition Congress accused the ruling BJP of failing to curb crime and allowing law and order to deteriorate across the state, during an adjournment motion moved by the party.

Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal, opening the debate, alleged that crimes are being committed openly and the government has failed to instil fear of the law among criminals. She claimed that liquor auctions in several districts could not be completed because of the dominance of gangsters, while extortion demands have become routine, with businessmen and contractors receiving threats even from gangs operating inside jails.

Bhukkal said shootouts and firing incidents are becoming common, women and children feel unsafe, and harassment has reached alarming levels in educational institutions. Citing NCRB data, she said Haryana has emerged as the number one state in crimes against women and children, though many cases remain unreported.

She cited examples including minor girls shot dead in Jind, a young man killed in Safidon, a woman gunned down at Rohtak railway station, and a liquor contractor murdered in Kurukshetra. She added that in Sonipat, gangsters fired 13 rounds outside a liquor contractor’s residence, while in Rohtak and Yamunanagar, traders were served extortion notices demanding INR 5 crore each.

Congress MLA Ashok Arora added that on average, Haryana records 11 kidnappings, three murders and two rapes every day. He said businessmen, doctors and traders no longer feel secure, with many families sending relatives abroad for safety.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda linked rising crime to unemployment and drug abuse, alleging that threats and extortion are now carried out openly over phone calls. He referred to the Manish murder case, where gangsters directly contacted the victim’s family, and said grain markets, hotels and even schools are no longer safe.

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed alleged that minorities are being targeted under the present government, citing the mob lynching of a youth in Palwal and harassment of Muslims in the name of illegal immigration. He accused the government of turning a blind eye to communal violence.

MLA BB Batra said that despite spending crores on the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, crimes against women are rising, and schools and colleges themselves have become places where harassment and even murders occur. Opposition members also cited statistics showing Haryana ranks third nationally in murders, third in rapes, second in attempted rapes and first in kidnappings and crimes against children.

Defending the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda accused the Congress of presenting a selective picture. He said that between 2014 and 2024, rape cases declined by 7.37 per cent, while murders, molestations and dowry deaths fell by 20 to 25 per cent. He listed measures taken by the government, including the establishment of women’s police stations, the launch of the Durga Shakti mobile app for women’s safety, and the creation of a Special Task Force in 2017 to combat organised crime. He said 2,856 criminals have been arrested since then, and in 2024 alone, police carried out 110 encounters in which 13 hardened gangsters were killed and 156 injured.

BJP MLA Shakti Rani Sharma accused the Congress of double standards, recalling a 2012 case under the Congress regime in which two girl students were kidnapped, raped and murdered in Faridabad, forcing the case to be handed over to the CBI. She said it was the BJP that introduced reforms such as women’s police stations and strict punishments for heinous crimes.

Industry Minister Vipul Goel also accused the Congress of spreading falsehoods and said Haryana has become an investor’s first choice due to its strong law and order system. He added that the government had banned gangster songs and blocked several social media accounts linked to criminals to prevent the glorification of crime. Mining Minister Krishan Panwar contrasted the current government’s performance with that of the Congress, stating that illegal mining was rampant earlier, whereas today the state earns more than INR 500 crore annually from mining activities.

(ANI)