'Felt powerless', says Haryana Power Minister Ajay Yadav who resigned

CHANDIGARH: Asserting that he felt "powerless" in the Haryana government, Power Minister Ajay Yadav, who resigned today, said he always fought on principles and raised people's issues.

Yadav, who has occasionally criticised Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's style of functioning during the past three years, had raised issues related to regional bias too.

"There are many issues that forced me to take this step of resigning today, which I wanted to do two years ago, but still carried on hoping that things may change," said Yadav.

"I was power minister, but I felt powerless. Decisions were taken by officers under me and on occasions, this was done without my knowledge. This hurt my self respect," he said.

Calling himself a Congress high command loyalist, Yadav said relations with Hooda started deteriorating in his second term.

"I am Sonia Gandhi's loyalist and whatever she says I will abide. I have old relations with the Gandhi family. I had no problem with Hooda until 2009, but things started taking different shape in his second term," he said.

"I was made Finance Minister (in Hooda's second term), but even when I was carrying on well, this portfolio was snatched from me on a false ground. A CD was prepared where I was falsely accused of praising Narendra Modi whereas I had made some comments pertaining to the agricultural policy of the Gujarat Government," he said.

"I have never praised Modi," he clarified.