Power concentration is anti-thesis of democracy: Birender Singh

JIND: Union Minister Birender Singh, in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said that concentration of power is "anti-thesis of democracy".

The Rural Development Minister, who was addressing a public meeting in Uchana Kalan yesterday, without taking any names, said that he enjoys "full freedom" in the work he does.

"Par 40 saal se iss Haryana ki rajneeti ko itna kharab kar ke rakh diya hein, ki chaprasi ki badali bhi CM ke daftar se, clerk ki badli woh bhi CM ke daftar se...(but over the past 40 years Haryana's politics has been vitiated to the level that all powers are concentrated with the Chief Minister, even transfers of clerks and peons are handled by the CMO)," he said.

He went on to add, "yeah prajantra ka English mein kahtein hain anti-thesis hai (concentration of power is anti-thesis of democracy)".

Pointing towards the crowds, he said "you say Manohar Lal (Khattar) is new, even (former CM) Bhupinder Singh Hooda was new, but in just three months...you know".

Giving some anxious moments to Khattar, Birender Singh also took a veiled dig at the Chief Minister for alleged concentration of powers.

"When I directed some officers to undertake development works in Uchana, a bureaucrat told me that I should get these included in the CM's list. I told him politely that I am a Minister...Birender Singh does not do such politics," Singh said.

Singh further said that ministers in the state Cabinet should also be authorised to take decisions for the welfare of the people of the state.

"All the ministers should have powers to take decisions and the officers must follow the directions of both CM and ministers," he said.

Notably, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, State BJP chief Subhash Barala, MLAs Prem Lata Singh and Bakshish Singh, were among others present at the public meeting yesterday.