Congress demands President's rule in Haryana

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Saturday demanded President's rule in Haryana and the sacking of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's "failure" to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi in a press conference said the death toll figures reported "seems to be false, and it's higher". He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to "save his friend Khattar".

"You are seeing a naked dance of absolute violence, riots on the street," Singhvi said on the violence that took place in Haryana on Friday.

Singhvi said there was a failure on the part of the Centre as well state government, adding that the "'nikammi sarkar' (useless government) should be suspended."

"It is unprecedented that a situation like this came with a notice of seven days, but both the Haryana and the central governments remained mute, impotent spectators," Singhvi said.