New Excise Policy aimed at making Haryana youth addicts: Former Chief Minister Hooda

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said the government should immediately withdraw the new Excise Policy initiated by the BJP-JPP government as it would push lakhs of youth into addiction.

Hooda, also a veteran Congress leader of the state, was addressing the Parivartan Rally at Petwad in Narnaund.

Attacking Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar led BJP-JJP government, Hooda said: "Our policy was aimed at encouraging sports and making our youth world champions on the sports field. Their policy is to push the youth of the state into addiction and the new Excise Policy is a recipe of disaster. We have already seen what has happened in Punjab, they are pushing Haryana in the same direction."

"The government is pushing our farmers in debt as the government has increased rates on agricultural inputs and has increased taxes on them and the increase in the prices of wheat and paddy has been minimal. We had brought a historic increase of Rs 193 in the rates of sugarcane while this government has only increased it by Rs 20 to 30," he said.

Talking about taking back ownership rights of Dhauli land from Brahmins, the former Chief Minister said the government is taking away the rights of poor, Dalits and Brahmins for lands that they have been tilling for several decades now.

Talking on the government for its failure to protect the rights of Haryana's youth, former MP Deepender Singh Hooda said the government has once again let the youth of the state down.

"The alliance that claims to be providing reservation to youth in private jobs is clearly showing a preference for outsiders in government jobs," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )