Chandigarh, February 17 On Tuesday, police in Panchkula used water cannons on protesters during a demonstration by the Youth Congress as they attempted to cross barricades to "surround" the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) office.
The Congress and its youth wing have alleged that the BJP government has failed to protect the interests of the youth of Haryana, which led them to decide to surround the HPSC office.
Congress leader and MP from Rohtak, Deepender Singh Hooda, who also participated in the protest along with others, was briefly detained by the police as protesters attempted to march towards the HPSC office in Panchkula.
Congress MP from Ambala, Varun Chaudhary, Indian Youth Congress president Udai Bhanu Chib, and Haryana Youth Congress president Nishit Kataria, also participated in the protest. They were briefly detained.
The Haryana Youth Congress decided to surround the HPSC office in Panchkula, alleging that candidates from outside Haryana were securing an disproportionate share of government jobs.
They also alleged that the HPSC is unable to fill all advertised positions. The HPSC office in Panchkula was heavily barricaded. The youth Congress workers attempted to cross the barricades, forcing the police to use water cannons.
Speaking to reporters, Deepender alleged that many positions are being kept vacant, and those that are being filled are going to candidates from outside the state. "We are here to protect the interests of Haryana youth," he said.
Chaudhary said that the HPSC has become a "rejection commission for Haryana youth." He alleged that the BJP government in Haryana is not able to protect the interests of the state's youth.
Hooda said, "For the past 12 years, the BJP government has been defrauding the youth of Haryana in the name of recruitment. The BJP government is neglecting Haryana youth in every recruitment process and prioritizing candidates from outside Haryana."
He alleged that corruption is rampant in government offices.
"Haryana is the only state among the 28 states in the country where the chairman of the HPSC has been brought in from outside. There is no other state where the chairman of the Public Service Commission has been appointed from outside the state," Deepender said.
He further said that the rights of the people of Haryana are being violated as part of a deliberate conspiracy, "and even those who benefit from reservation are being cheated."
Hooda said that earlier, 60 out of 110 candidates in the selection of civil judges and 28 out of 49 in the irrigation department were from outside Haryana.
Citing examples of candidates from states outside Haryana being selected, he said that "103 out of 157 lecturers in technical education, 78 out of 80 for SDO electrical and 11 out of 18 assistant professors in political science were from outside".