BJP chief Amit Shah attacks Om Prakash Chautala, Congress

BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at Om Prakash Chautala, a former chief minister of poll-bound Haryana saying his "arrogance" remains the same despite his sentencing in the teachers' recruitment scam. He also attacked Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Congress, accusing the party of pushing the state backwards during the past ten years of its rule.

Shah, who had at an election meeting in Ambala yesterday ruled out any post-poll tie-up with Chautala-led INLD, today began his speech at a public meeting here, asking the people to speak out loudly "Bharat Mata ki Jai" as the "voice should travel to Tihar jail."

The BJP chief was critical of 79-year-old Chautala, who while addressing a rally at Jind on September 25 had said that he will take oath as Haryana's next Chief Minister from Tihar jail.

Chautala is presently out on bail on health grounds. The former CM and his son Ajay have been sentenced after being found guilty in the teachers' recruitment scam.

"I read a statement of Chautala, that he will take oath as Haryana CM from Tihar jail. I want to ask you people that do you want to choose such a CM who will run his government from Tihar jail. See how much arrogance he has despite having been sentenced," Shah, who has been addressing a series of public meetings since yesterday in Haryana ahead of the October 15 assembly polls, told a gathering at the rally today.

Shah was also unsparing in his attack on the Congress, alleging that the State had fallen behind on several fronts during the past ten years. Attacking Hooda, he said "Woh delhi ke durbar mein mujra kartain hein" (he dances to the tunes of the Gandhi family) just to save his chair, even as the farmers get peanuts for the acquired land, which is handed over to powerful builders.

With Hooda often saying that "Haryana is No. 1" in every field, Shah said that "the State has fallen behind. Be it the issue of women security, atrocities on the Dalits, unemployment, the state has done poorly. No new industries have been set up and even some of the existing industry has been forced to shift, as the State has fallen behind in every field. Time has now come to oust this regime and bring BJP to power".

Referring to BJP senior leader and party's Narnaund candidate, Capt Abhimanyu, he said the nominee was well educated and dynamic.

While BJP has so far not declared anyone as its chief ministerial candidate, Shah further said that Haryana needs a dynamic, well educated and young CM, who will work with greater zeal and vigour for the people of his state.