Ex-Union minister Birender Singh, wife Prem Lata join Congress
Birender Singh, grandson of peasantry leader Chhotu Ram, had left the Congress ahead of the 2014 general elections and joined the BJP
The veteran Jat leader of Haryana and former Union minister Birender Singh along with his wife Prem Lata joined the Congress on Tuesday, a day after he had announced to quit the BJP and a month later his son Brijendra Singh, who was BJP’s Hisar Lok Sabha MP, joined the grand old party.
Birender Singh, grandson of peasantry leader Chhotu Ram, had left the Congress ahead of the 2014 general elections and joined the BJP. The BJP had rewarded him with a berth in the Rajya Sabha and later appointed him as Union minister.
He was formally welcomed to the party fold by senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Uday Bhan and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in a function held in Delhi.
“It is not just my ‘ghar wapsi’ but also ‘vichar wapsi,” said Birender Singh after joining the Congress in Delhi.
“It is the return of my ideology. If we have to save democracy, we have to rise and speak up against the government,” said Singh, who in 2023 had announced to leave the BJP if the party did not snap ties with the coalition partner the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in Haryana.
While in the BJP he was equally critical of the saffron party on farmers’ stir and used to share political platforms of Opposition parties to support the farmers.
“I tried to resolve the farmer issues during their agitation. What has the farmer or the poor got even 33 years after economic reforms. Farmers have not got justice yet. One should not expect anything from the BJP. They shed artificial tears for the poor,” Singh alleged, adding the mood is changing in the country and blamed the BJP for pursuing the wrong policies.
Singh said he had met Sonia Gandhi the day he left the Congress due to some reasons.
“I have done politics by annoying my superiors in the party,” he said.
Welcoming Birender Singh and Prem Lata into the Congress, party leader Mukul Wasnik said, “With their joining, I am sure the Congress will be strengthened in Haryana and help form the Congress government in the state.”
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “With his (Birender Singh) rejoining, he has proved the age-old saying, ‘East or West, Home is the best’. He is my elder brother and I am very happy about his return to the Congress fold.”
AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala said, “This is an emotional moment for me and I welcome him into the party fold.”
Other Congress leaders present on this occasion included Kumari Selja, Kiran Choudhry, former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, AICC OBC Cell head Capt Ajay Singh, Naseer Hussain and Pawan Khera.
Former state BJP chief Subhash Barala lashes out at Birender
The BJP’s Rajya Sabha Member Subhash Barala, who is also a former Haryana BJP president on Tuesday lashed out at former Union minister Birender Singh who joined Congress. Barala said Singh was an ordinary leader when he joined BJP.
“BJP first sent Birender Singh to Rajya Sabha and made him the Union minister. Later, his wife became an BJP MLA . After that BJP gave ticket to his son from Hisar Lok Sabha seat and ensured his victory,” Barala said.
“Now Birender Singh knew that he cannot win the election and Narendra Modi will not give ticket to the one who cannot win the election. Fearing his ticket being cut, he has once again gone to Congress,” Barala said, describing Congress as a sinking ship.
“How will Congress secure Birender Singh’s future?” he said in a statement.
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