Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday demanded the withdrawal of the FIR lodged against 4,000 sarpanchs protesting in Panchkula against e-tendering system in panchayat works.

Addressing a Press conference, Hooda said it has become a habit of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party (BJP-JJP) coalition government to lathi-charge on every issue and to crush the voice of the people who stand up for their rights.

“This government did not spare anyone from farmers, youth, employees, panch and sarpanch to women,” he said.

The Congress leader contended that the e-tendering system imposed on panchayats is not correct. He alleged that the coalition government is steeped in corruption from head to toe, and this is why in the name of e-tendering, the government wants to establish a base of corruption even in Panchayati Raj.

“When the panchayat representatives opposed this, the government tried to suppress their voice with the brute force of police batons. Instead of accepting the demands of Panch-Sarpanchs, the government registered an FIR against them. The Congress will meet and submit a memorandum to His Excellency the Governor on the 6 March against this undemocratic attitude of the government,” he said.

Hooda said panchayat representatives were given complete freedom and funds to get development work done during the Congress government. Every village in Haryana had paved streets and all development works because of this. But BJP-JJP wants to hand over the Panchayati Raj system to the contractors, instead of the elected representatives, he added.

“Within the government itself there is no consensus on the new policy. The leaders of the ruling parties are saying something and their ministers are saying something else. Due to failure on every front, fierce infighting is being seen in BJP-JJP. Internal disputes regarding policy decisions show that this government is directionless and a complete failure,” the former CM said.

Speaking on the issue of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Hooda said the government is just killing time by forming a committee or holding a meeting on this.

“If it wants to implement OPS, then this decision can be taken in one stroke and in one line. Just as the Congress governments of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal took this decision, the employees will be given the benefit of OPS in the very first cabinet meeting after the Congress government is formed in the state,” he added.