Haryana govt strips former CM Hooda off cabinet rank

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Cabinet has stripped former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, off his cabinet rank, bringing him on level with other MLAs of the state. Announcing the decision, Haryana Minister of State Krishan Kumar Bedi said, “He has been given Kothi Number 70 in Sector 7 of Chandigarh, with staff assigned to a cabinet minister, vehicles and security. The budget was too high. Thus, taking into consideration the public demand, the cabinet has decided to withdraw it. He is only an MLA now, and whatever facilities an MLA avails will be provided to Hooda ji.” When asked about how former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also enjoying the cabinet rank, Bedi said, “It is a matter of Parliament and the Centre. Haryana is a small state which did not have such provisions.”