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Hooda Challenges Party Directive as Haryana Congress MLAs Express Dissent
In a press briefing held in Chandigarh on Wednesday, Bhupinder Singh Hooda clarified that a recent directive restricting protests and press conferences only pertains to state-level activities, allowing MLAs to address local issues without interference. He emphasized,
“Party discipline is important... whenever there is a state-level demonstration, protest or press conference, it should be coordinated. But it should not apply for such events at the district or the constituency level.”
The controversial order mandates that MLAs must submit detailed plans of any intended event to the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) in advance, secure prior approval for public announcements, and coordinate with local leadership. Hariprasad, the source of the directive, cited the need for
“proper coordination, organisational discipline, message uniformity, media management and effective political strategy”as justification for these requirements.
Concerns about the order were voiced by several Congress legislators, including Ashok Arora from Thanesar, who stated,
“The letter said that the MLAs could not hold a press conference or a protest without permission.”Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra echoed this sentiment, arguing that while party discipline is crucial, it should not hinder MLAs from voicing constituents' concerns.
Despite the dissent, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh defended the new rules, asserting that their goal is to foster unity within the party. He described the directive as an extension of prior training sessions aimed at preventing factionalism. According to Rao,
“The only aim of the letter is to ensure that the old system where different factions held their own party programmes didn’t return.”When questioned about the objections raised by MLAs, he claimed to be unaware of any issues, assuring that any misunderstandings would be addressed.
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