ROHTAK: A video featuring Rahul Gandhi and Rohtak Congress MP Deepender Hooda during the Congress party’s protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in New Delhi has triggered a political controversy. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have alleged that Rahul Gandhi did not treat Deepender Hooda appropriately. Deepender Hooda, however, has dismissed these allegations, asserting that the incident is being portrayed out of context.According to Deepender Hooda, Rahul Gandhi did not ask him to get down from the truck with the intention of humiliating him. Instead, he said he was instructed to manage the situation ahead and help control the protesters. He claimed that he had been entrusted with overseeing the protest and had been involved in preparations for the event for a week.The controversy has sparked a fresh debate over the roles and political standing of leaders within the Haryana Congress, with opposition parties using the incident to target the Hooda family and the Congress leadership.Deepender Hooda said he had been on the truck with Rahul Gandhi for approximately an hour. During the protest, after the first barricade had been crossed, another barricade stood around 50 metres ahead. According to him, there was a possibility that the protesters could move towards the Supreme Court premises if they proceeded further.He said that, in view of the situation, Rahul Gandhi had the truck stopped and instructed him to manage the arrangements and control the crowd. Deepender Hooda claimed that Rahul Gandhi himself was also preparing to get down and help bring the situation under control.According to Deepender Hooda, he and Congress MP Raja Badi were the only two people representing the Congress at that particular point. He said Raja Badi got down from the truck to manage the situation, while he remained on the vehicle and continued helping control the protesters.Describing the episode as a routine part of a political demonstration, Deepender Hooda said people frequently move between different positions during such protests, with some standing on vehicles and others on the ground. He maintained that the gathering was not a stage-managed programme in which a leader’s position above or below others should be interpreted as a matter of prestige or status.Deepender Hooda also targeted the BJP and the INLD, accusing both parties of unnecessarily exaggerating the incident.He said he worked consistently and believed that some people were targeting him because of his hard work. He further claimed that people from Haryana constituted a substantial proportion of those participating in the protest, alleging that approximately 70% of the demonstrators were from the state.Deepender Hooda maintained that Rahul Gandhi had not issued any humiliating instruction but had simply asked him to discharge his responsibilities in response to the situation on the ground. He accused the BJP and the INLD of attempting to derive political mileage from the video.INLD supremo Abhay Singh Chautala also attacked the Congress over the video. He claimed that the footage showed Rahul Gandhi pushing Deepender Hooda and forcing him to get down from the truck.Chautala criticised the Haryana Congress leadership, alleging that former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepender Hooda, had jointly weakened the party in the state. According to him, the Congress has suffered a decline in its political base in Haryana, and the Hooda family no longer enjoys the level of public support it once commanded.He further alleged that Deepender Hooda had previously visited his constituency infrequently and that even his recent visits to villages had failed to attract the expected public support.INLD state spokesperson Krishna Kaushik said the Congress had reached the end of its political road and was losing relevance in Haryana.Referring to the alleged incident involving Rahul Gandhi and Deepender Hooda, Kaushik claimed that Rahul Gandhi had pushed Deepender Hooda off the truck. He argued that several people were seated on the vehicle and questioned why removing one individual should have made any significant difference to the proceedings.Kaushik said the incident demonstrated that the Congress had lost its political base in Haryana. He described the party as a sinking ship and claimed that the INLD would return to power in the state.Kaushik further asserted that Rahul Gandhi had demonstrated that Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepender Hooda no longer had a place within the Congress. He argued that asking Deepender Hooda to get down from the truck indicated that he had become a burden on the party. He also pointed out that several other people were seated in the front row and questioned why Deepender Hooda’s presence was considered necessary.These remarks formed part of the INLD spokesperson’s political attack on the Congress and the Hooda family.BJP leader Satish Nandal also questioned Deepender Hooda’s role in the incident and his standing within the Congress. He argued that junior leaders should remain mindful of their position and protocol when senior leaders are present on a stage.Nandal claimed that the video showed Rahul Gandhi holding Deepender Hooda by the hand and telling him to get down. According to him, the alleged episode was humiliating for Deepender Hooda, particularly because thousands of protesters had gathered at the venue.Targeting the Congress leadership, Nandal said the incident had raised questions about Deepender Hooda’s actual position within the party. He alleged that Deepender Hooda was preoccupied with demonstrating his loyalty to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi rather than concentrating on maintaining a strong connection with the public.The BJP leader also accused former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son of weakening the Congress in Haryana. He claimed that the former chief minister’s recent visits to rural areas had failed to attract the expected public support. However, these political assertions have not been independently verified.Nandal added that Deepender Hooda would be welcome to join the BJP if he wished to do so.
