BJP Has Pressed ‘Panic Button’ Amid Growing Public Discontent in Haryana: Kumari Selja

BJP Has Pressed ‘Panic Button’ Amid Growing Public Discontent in Haryana: Kumari Selja

Congress leader Kumari Selja has alleged that growing public dissatisfaction with the BJP government in Haryana has forced the ruling party to reassess the political situation in the state, saying that a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana BJP legislators alone would not restore the trust of people.

Selja, who represents Sirsa in the Lok Sabha and is a former Union Cabinet minister, AICC general secretary and Congress Working Committee member, said the government had been facing questions over unemployment, growing drug abuse among young people, law and order and difficulties faced by ordinary citizens in getting routine work done.

According to Selja, people who have become frustrated with portal-based systems, official announcements and what she described as political rhetoric are now looking for visible action and time-bound solutions to their problems. She said the government needed to demonstrate results on the ground rather than rely primarily on declarations and publicity.

Selja Questions BJP’s Political Response

Commenting on the meeting between the Prime Minister and Haryana BJP legislators, Selja said it was natural for people to ask whether the BJP leadership had begun to recognise the growing dissatisfaction in the state. She described the situation as an indication of “panic” within the government and questioned whether meetings at the top level would translate into meaningful improvements for ordinary citizens.

She said a government could not regain public confidence simply through meetings, publicity campaigns or major announcements. According to her, restoring trust required political leaders and government officials to reach out to citizens, understand their difficulties and ensure that complaints were resolved within a reasonable time.

Selja also pointed to various sections of society raising their demands and government employees taking the path of protests. She said these developments should be viewed as signals that sections of the population were dissatisfied with the functioning of the administration.

Focus on Everyday Governance

The Congress leader said basic civic services in towns and cities also required greater attention. She alleged that several development works were not progressing at the desired pace and that ordinary citizens were facing difficulties in getting routine government-related work completed.

Selja said governance could not be reduced to creating portals or announcing schemes. In her view, the real test of administration was whether citizens could access public services without unnecessary difficulty and whether their complaints were addressed in a transparent and time-bound manner.

She argued that the government needed to pay attention to the concerns being raised by different sections of society rather than treating public criticism merely as a political challenge. She said accountability and responsiveness were essential to restoring confidence in democratic institutions.

Jobs, Drug Abuse and Law and Order

Selja said Haryana’s young people needed meaningful employment opportunities and stronger action against drug abuse. She also called for an environment in which women and ordinary citizens felt safe and said law and order should remain a priority for the government.

She said employees with legitimate grievances should receive a constructive response from the administration and that development in villages and cities should proceed at a pace that meets the expectations of residents.

‘People Want Results, Not Announcements’

According to Selja, the government should treat the concerns of citizens as a priority and work towards providing measurable outcomes. She said people wanted employment, better public safety, effective action against drugs, improved civic facilities and quicker resolution of their complaints.

She said the Prime Minister’s interaction with BJP legislators could be useful if it resulted in concrete administrative action. However, she maintained that the effectiveness of such a meeting would ultimately be judged by whether people could see improvements in their daily lives.

Selja said democratic governments ultimately depend on public confidence and that trust could not be rebuilt through political messaging alone. In her assessment, transparency, accountability and actual delivery of public services were essential to restoring faith among citizens.

Political Accountability at the Centre of Debate

The remarks come amid continuing political debate in Haryana over governance, public services and the concerns of different sections of society. Selja said the government should respond to these concerns through policy and administrative action rather than political display.

She emphasised that people would ultimately judge the government by its performance. Employment opportunities for young people, safety for women and citizens, action against drug abuse, better law and order, resolution of employees’ legitimate demands and development in rural and urban areas, she said, were among the issues that required visible attention.

Selja concluded that public trust could be earned only through sustained work, transparency and accountability. She said political meetings could be a starting point for discussion, but their real significance would depend on whether they produced tangible changes in governance and improved the experience of ordinary citizens.