Manohar Lal manages to survive despite incidents of violence

The attack on a school bus carrying kindergarten children in Gurugram this Wednesday is the latest in a series of law and order issues that have plagued Haryana since October 2014, when Manohar Lal-led BJP government assumed office.The CM has weathered several storms and continues to occupy the high post due to the strong support from his party brass and the RSS.
Lal, a former RSS pracharak with humble beginnings, is a soft-spoken leader known for his simplicity. However, his lack of administrative skills and decision-making ability have been exposed during several law and order issues in the last three years.

The Jat quota agitation in 2016 was the first major challenge to the BJP government in Haryana. It was handled badly and the CM and his ministers sought to blame the Congress for fanning the protests but did not take timely action to stop the protests from turning violent. More than 30 people were killed and property worth crores damaged. There were reports of attacks on women. Finally the state had to seek the help of Army troops.


The same issue could flare up again this year. The Haryana assembly passed a law giving 10% quota to Jats and five other communities in the state. This was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana high court which said the quantum of would be decided by the State Backward Classes Commission. The panel has a March 31 deadline to decide on the quantum of reservations. The Supreme Court verdict that quotas cannot exceed 50% would have to be adhered to while trying to provide reservations to the communities.

The Haryana BJP government also failed to control supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who indulged in violence in Panchkula area last August 25, after his conviction and arrest. 42 people were killed in violence and police firing.

Violent protests are not the only law and order challenge the state government faces. Incidents of rape have been on the rise and the Haryana Police has failed to crack the cases or create the perception women were safe. The chief minister made a statement last week that if the incidents do not stop the state would pass a law to award capital punishment to rapists, forgetting the fact policing to prevent the crime made sense than stringent punishments for those who committed the act. Also, other states have been able to do a better job with present laws.

BJP leaders say Lal has not received even a rap as he is close to the RSS and BJP brass. He is known to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since their pracharak days decades ago. He was chosen as chief minister due to his simplicity and honesty, apart from the BJP’s decision to confer the post on a non-Jat and one from the trader community. The other factor that has helped Khattar survive is that most administrative challenges in Haryana were micro-managed by the BJP central leadership. He reportedly has left most decision-making to the party and senior-most police officials and bureaucrats.