New Delhi: Under attack for alleged mishandling of ‘Godman’ Ram Rahim episode, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal today remained unfazed and virtually ruled out his resignation in the wake of Dera violence, saying that he had implemented the court order and handled the situation with great patience. “I am satisfied with what I have done. Let others say what they would,’’ Mr Lal replied when reporters asked whether he would be resigning as demanded by the Opposition. Mr Lal who met BJP chief Amit Shah in the wake of major political row over the Haryana government’s handling of the situation after Gurmeet Ram Rahim was pronounced “convicted” of a rape charge, said, “Jisey istefa mangna hae, mangtey rahe (Those who want to demand my resignation, let them continue to do so)”. “I have briefed Amit Shah on the situation and steps taken. The party president will accordingly tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he further said. Mr Lal is also likely to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who had already held telephonic talks with the Chief Minister last week.
The Haryana Chief Minister, according to sources, today apprised the party chief on the developments in the state following conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, which led to large-scale violence in the state in which around 38 people lost their life. The Centre too was irked over the violence in the state where the violent followers of the Dera chief had taken law and order in their hands on Friday last (August 25) after a special CBI court in Panchkula convicted the controversial ‘godman’ in a 2002 rape case. “The instances of violence are deeply distressing,” PM Modi said in a tweet on August 25. A section of BJP leaders has also sought to make light of the ‘demand’ for Chief Minister’s resignation suggesting the opposition stand was unwarranted and also that the “campaign seemed to have been motivated”.
“A section of Congress is upset with incumbent Chief Minister as he has put things on track for probe into the high-profile land scam involving Robert Vadra,” a party leader said. Another party source suggested that the media criticism too was selective as none seemed to question why a large number of followers of Ram Rahim were “not stopped from coming into Panchkula from Punjab”. BJP general secretary Anil Jain has also formally defended the Chief Minister. Another factor that seemed to have helped Mr Lal, also a former RSS pracharak, is the broad hint that he was “originally selected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to head the Government”. The caste management too is coming into play as a section of Jat leaders in BJP is trying to build up pressure for the ouster of Lal, state’s first ‘non-Jat’ Chief Minister. Traditionally, the Jats have given more chief ministers than the non-Jats in Haryana including from the Congress and parties like Lok Dal and other regional outfits, but the BJP’s support base has been very strong among non-Jats.
