Panipat:
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was booed at an event he attended with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, today vowed to "avenge the insult with the power of votes."
Addressing a rally in Panipat while launching his poll campaign, he said, "Haryana never tolerates insult. My insult was an insult to Haryana. I went to the function as the representative Haryana. They didn't even respect the post of the PM. Who were these people? The people of Haryana want to know who these people were. Why were they there?"
Mr Hooda was booed by a crowd at a function he attended with Mr Modi in Kaithal on Wednesday. The same crowd roared with approval at Mr Modi's speech. Mr Hooda later alleged that the crowd was organised by the BJP.
The angry chief minister later declared that "in future, I will never attend a function with the PM."
On Thursday, in a gesture that amounted to extending an olive branch, the PM personally invited Mr Hooda for tea.
In a picture tweeted by the Prime Minister's Office, Mr Hooda was seen sitting with PM Modi.
Meanwhile, with an eye on assembly polls, Mr Hooda declared at the rally that he has dedicated his "entire lifetime" to the service of the people of Haryana and alleged that the BJP "can never be in favor of farmers in terms of their policies."
He also announced a host of measures to woo various sections of voters ahead of the imposition of the model code of conduct.
Mr Hooda has led the Congress party to victory twice in the state.