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Hooda and Selja are considered to be rivals in Haryana politics. (File image)
Hooda’s remark came after a video purportedly of a Congress worker passing a controversial comment against Selja went viral on social media.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said anyone making an objectionable comment against Congress MP Kumari Selja does not have any place in the party.
Hooda’s remark came after a video purportedly of a Congress worker passing a controversial comment against Selja went viral on social media.
The former chief minister said the video appears to be manipulated.
Hooda and Selja are considered to be rivals in Haryana politics.
Hooda, who was speaking to reporters in Rohtak, was asked that a video has gone viral on social media in which objectionable language has been used against Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Selja.
Responding to the question, Hooda said, “Selja is our sister. She is a respected leader of the party. No Congress worker can say such thing. It (the video) appears to be manipulated. It is BJP’s job to make people fight on the basis of caste, religion…
“It is very easy these days. Everyone has a camera and you can manipulate. No Congress person can say such thing,” said Hooda, adding that the party’s slogan is ‘Jaat par na paat par, mohar lagegi haath par’.
Meanwhile, on a question that the BJP has withdrawn its candidate in Sirsa to “support” Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) candidate Gopal Kanda from Sirsa, Hooda said the people of the state already knew this.
“The earlier indirect alliance of the INLD (Indian National Lok Dal) and the HLP with the BJP has now become public,” Hooda told reporters.
“In Haryana, the direct contest is between the Congress and the BJP. All the parties like the INLD, JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) and HLP have been fielded only to cut the votes of the Congress.
“The BJP has also given this responsibility to many Independents. The public needs to be cautious of such candidates,” he added.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former MLA from Beri, Om Prakash Kadian, and his son Vikram Kadian joined the Congress in Rohtak on Monday.
Vikram Kadian has contested elections from Beri twice on a BJP ticket. BJP Mahila Morcha state general secretary Gayatri Devi also joined the Congress along with many sarpanches and block committee chairpersons, a party statement said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)