Chandigarh, March 17 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday launched a strong attack on the Congress, accusing it of indulging in ‘headline politics’ and making baseless remarks on the Budget merely to stay in the news.

Replying to the discussion on the state Budget during the ongoing Assembly session of the Vidhan Sabha, he said the Opposition “seems unable to recognise the pace of development in the state and is viewing the Budget through a distorted lens”.

The Chief Minister was replying to the discussion on the Budget Estimates 2026-27 during the Budget session.

Taking a sharp swipe at the Congress, he said allegations that the Congress “makes on the streets are repeated in the House. It is unfortunate to see that instead of having constructive debate, the Congress chooses to walk out every time. The Opposition has neither read the Budget seriously nor understood the provisions made for development, and therefore is in no position to hold any meaningful discussion on the state’s issues. Such conduct exposes the Opposition’s lack of seriousness, while the government remains committed to addressing public issues with transparency and accountability”.

In a sharp remark, the Chief Minister said the Opposition has no substantive issues to raise and is resorting to unfounded criticism. He further said that 2.8 crore people of Haryana look “towards this august House with hope, but the irresponsible conduct of the Opposition is there for everyone to see. The Opposition is not interested in giving constructive suggestions, but is instead focused on spreading misinformation and walking out of the House”.

The Chief Minister said that the role being played by the Congress is a matter of concern, as the Opposition “appears to be merely marking its presence, opposing for the sake of Opposition, and spreading falsehoods”. He said that while several members gave meaningful and constructive suggestions during the discussion, which are welcome, some Opposition members chose to criticise without facts.

CM Saini remarked that it appeared as if some members neither listened to the Budget speech delivered on March 2 nor took the effort to read it later, and merely repeated in the House the same allegations they make on the streets.

Targeting the opposition further, the Chief Minister said it may be compelled to appear adversarial to the government, but it would have been better had it contributed constructive suggestions in the larger public interest.

Responding to the Opposition’s allegations regarding the Rajya Sabha elections, the Chief Minister said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had successfully ensured the election of its candidate, Sanjay Bhatia, to the Rajya Sabha.

He asserted that in a democracy, every individual has the right to contest elections, and supporting an Independent candidate is well within democratic norms. “If the Opposition had objections, they were free to field their own candidate. Why didn’t they?” he asked, adding that the Independent candidate had approached them for support, which they extended.

–IANS

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