HT interview: People fed up with misgovernance in Haryana, Centre, says Om Parkash Chautala

Ahead of the Haryana elections, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president and former Haryana chief minister Om Parkash Chautala speaks to HT on the party’s poll prospects and BJP’s alleged misgovernance in the state and at the Centre, among other issues. Edited excerpts:

What is your assessment of the BJP government’s performance in Haryana and at the Centre?

The Haryana government removed eligible and aged people from the ambit of social security pensions on one pretext or another. Their one-point agenda is to loot and scoot. The policies have been crafted by the Union government in such a way that the entire money flows towards the coffers of a handful of industrialists… Meanwhile, the people are being burdened with debt. Why is the state and the entire nation under debt?

When you were the chief minister, you too must have taken loans. Why blame the rival party government for the ballooning debt?

When I left, Haryana was a revenue-surplus state with no debt burden. Ask anyone about this… Our country was known for financially helping poor countries. Today, we are under a mind-boggling debt running into lakhs of crores. Why? Who is responsible for this?

How many seats will the INLD-BSP combine win?

I cannot predict the number of seats, but I can say with certainty that the current state government will be wiped out. In Haryana, the INLD-BSP coalition will form a strong government.

In case of a fractured mandate, with which party will the INLD-BSP coalition stitch a post-poll alliance?

Today’s circumstances show that we will not require support from any party. We are going to form the government on our own. The INLD-BSP will form the government. Every citizen in this country is fed up with the misgovernance of this government at the Centre and in the state. No section is supporting them.

People say there is a Congress wave across Haryana. What makes you confident about the prospects of the INLD?

The Congress is plagued by infighting. There is no question of the Congress making a comeback. When the Congress was in power, then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda resorted to corruption, grabbing and selling land. People remember that. I personally believe that before the polls, Hooda will have to go to jail. No power on this earth can save him from going to jail. The court rulings are already out, how long will he save himself?

What’s the future of JJP?

Nothing is left of the JJP. There is no future for the party. It is finished. There is no discussion about the JJP. It will be discussed until this election, after which people will bury it forever.

INLD leader Abhay Chautala resigned from the assembly over the three farm laws. Are farmers supporting the party?

It was a bold step that Abhay had taken. Did anyone else resign from the assembly in support of farmers? As a result of his resignation, the farmers’ movement got a fillip. Abhay’s resignation forced the Union government to take back the three black laws…

What type of reforms will you introduce if your party comes back to power?

There is no question of “if our party comes back to power”. We will form the government for sure. Our focus will be on fulfilling basic needs. Our country is an agrarian nation. The economy of the country is driven by farmers. If the farmers are prosperous, the country is prosperous. This is why our primary target will be to fulfil their basic needs.

Which are the decisions you still cherish from your time as chief minister? What would you like to do now that you couldn’t do earlier?

Under our “Sarkar Aapke Dwar” programme, we visited every village, asked people about their needs, and made on-the-spot decisions based on their demands. One such decision was ensuring all paths leading to crematoriums were paved, and building four walls around Muslim burial places to protect them from wild animals. People remember that only during the INLD government were the basic needs of the people taken care of.

Large number of BJP and Congress candidates in the fray were once INLD legislators or top workers. Why couldn’t INLD prevent this exodus?

Selfish people tend to stray for their self interests. You will agree with me that those who left INLD to enjoy the power of other parties like BJP are now facing humiliation. They are repenting.

What’s your message to future generations of Haryana?

My only appeal to the people is to ensure the end of this misgovernance and to support a party that aligns with the country’s civilisation and culture, and can secure the nation’s future. Undoubtedly, they will join and support us.