Ex-Haryana speaker seeks inclusive Congress after spat with Hooda camp

Former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma on Tuesday called for an inclusive Congress, alleging he was prevented from speaking at party protests in Panchkula. He said such attempts stifled internal democracy but refrained from naming colleagues. The call came after a protest last week turned into a spat between Sharma and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who denied allegations he kept Sharma off the speaker list.

Sharma said the Congress is not an individual's party and its 2005 assembly win was a collective effort. He referred to the controversy over Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda's praise for former leader Sajjan Kumar, noting Deepender had expressed regret and the chapter was closed. Sharma alleged eight to ten party colleagues were unleashed on him and objected to caste-based attacks, saying they benefit the BJP.

Haryana Congress chief Rao Narender Singh termed the war of words an internal matter that would be resolved through dialogue. He said in-charge Sanjay Dutt had spoken to Sharma and expressed confidence the issue would be sorted. Singh was speaking at an organisational meeting in Jhajjar focused on strengthening the party at the booth level.