Chandigarh, Oct 24 (PTI) Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Wednesday claimed that there was no corruption charge against the previous Congress government in the state and accused the present BJP regime of acting out of "vendetta" and slapping cases.
The BJP had made alleged irregularities in the land deals during the previous Congress a major poll issue.
"Our government ruled for 10 years, but there was no corruption charge. The present government acted out of vendetta and slapped cases. They registered these cases to divert public attention from their own failures," the two-time former chief minister told reporters while addressing a 'meet-the-press' programme here.
Hooda and 33 others had been chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case of alleged corruption in Manesar land deals worth over Rs 1,500 crore, in which around 200 farmers were alleged to have been cheated.
Hitting out at the Manohar Lal Khattar government, Hooda said, "The claims of zero-tolerance towards corruption made by the present government have proved to be hollow. This government dropped land acquisition process for 3,600 acres of land in Bawal for a project after announcing award for the same."
"Six months back, cash-for-job scam rocked this government exposing their claims of transparency. Many other scams have hit the BJP government including mining scam," he said.
Hooda said if the Congress comes to power all "scams" of the present Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state will be investigated.
"But we will not act of political vendetta, like they have done," he said.
When asked under whose leadership will the Congress fight the next Vidhan Sabha polls in Haryana, Hooda said, "It is not about under whose leadership the polls will be fought, but question today is that every section of society wants to throw out this non-performing government."
To a related query on leadership issue, he said that let the Congress government be formed first, then MLAs and the party leadership will decide (on who should be the CM).
"The Congress will decide at an appropriate time, let the time come," he added.
To another question, Hooda said there were no differences between him and state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and claimed that the state unit of the Congress was united.
He promised to make 'Haryana No 1' in all spheres if the party is voted to power.
"The BJP has been in power for four years, but people are yet to see 'Achhe Din' as was promised to them. Now, people want that their old days should return when Haryana was No 1 in all fields. People are eagerly waiting for the polls to throw out this government," he claimed.
Replying to a question, he said while BJP leaders accuse the previous Congress regime of regional bias and concentrating development works in Hooda's stronghold Rohtak, but when Khattar addresses public meeting in the opposition leader's constituency, he claims no development has taken place in Rohtak.
"The chief minister tells people of Sampla and Rohtak that no development has taken place there, but elsewhere they accuse us of regional bias," he said.
He claimed that the BJP had only made tall promises to the people before polls, but they do not have a single achievement to their credit.
"This government lacks vision and direction. When they came to power, they also lacked experience and it seems they have still not learnt their lessons," Hooda claimed.
On Haryana Roadways employees' strike, Hooda said the government wants to hire 700 private buses under the kilometer scheme, "which has been designed to favour someone" and sought a probe into this.
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