Remembering Shadow of Injustice: Chautala and Congress's War Against Crime and Corruption in Haryana

By a staff reporter: People have been drawing comparisons between the current government and the governments of the Congress and INLD's Om Prakash Chautala ahead of the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. Many remember their tenure as a time of increased crime, corruption, and injustice. Dalits and women in particular experienced extreme brutality and prejudice.

There were multiple violent occurrences against Dalits while Congress was in power. A prominent instance was the 2010 Mirchpur attack, which killed a 70-year-old man and his crippled daughter. The attack targeted Dalit families. The Congress government came under heavy fire for this event because of its alleged insensitivity to Dalit issues.

Under Bhupinder Singh Hooda's leadership, the situation of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) was deemed "alarming." The SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was not used to investigate or condemn anyone. During this same period, there was a notable surge in crimes committed against women from the SC community.

The term of Congress saw a sharp increase in crimes against women. Haryana was deeply outraged by the Manohar Singh rape and murder case in 2012. During this time, there were also a lot of gang rapes, which brought attention to the state's worsening law and order situation.

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that the number of rape cases increased from 2010 to 2014. Domestic abuse and dowry death cases also increased dramatically during this time.

There has been harsh criticism of Congress's response to these offenses. Party spokesman Dharambir Goyat made the contentious remark that the majority of rape cases included consensual sex and that the state government is not accountable for rapes. The party's contempt for the safety and dignity of women was evident in this remark.

The Chautala family's reign in Haryana was also tumultuous, with several charges pertaining to matters of law and order. The Chautala family and Congress have come under fire for how they have handled crime and justice in the state.

All things considered, higher crime rates, corruption, and a lack of justice are what people remember during Chautala's and Congress's rule over Haryana. During their rule, the most vulnerable communities, including women and Dalits, experienced the most oppression.