Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said his government acted with restraint (File)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said he will not resign over
last week's violence in the state following the conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape. Mr Khattar, who met BJP chief Amit Shah, said his government acted with "restraint" and he was satisfied with its work.
There will not be any change (in leadership), he told reporters after giving a report to Mr Shah on the violence.
Thirty-eight people were killed, mostly in police firing. Mr Khattar said his government acted with "restraint" as its first target was to ensure that the self-styled godman appeared before the court in Panchkula in Haryana.
The BJP government has been accused of
mishandling the matter by allowing lakhs of Dera Sacha Sauda sect followers to assemble in Panchkula before their leader was to be sentenced.
Mr Khattar said had something happened before the sect leader appeared before the special CBI court on August 25, Ram Rahim might have used that as an "excuse" for not turning up in court.
"We acted with restraint. We achieved our aim," he said. About demands for his resignation, he said, "Anybody can say anything... We are satisfied with our work. Whatever we did was right. There will be no change."
To a question on his party courting the Dera head for political support, Mr Khattar said political parties sought everyone's cooperation. "But there is never a condition for such support that somebody breaks the law. Nobody is above the law," he said, adding his government had no deal with Ram Rahim.
Mr Khattar denied the rapist was given "VIP treatment", as some media reports had alleged, saying the convict stayed at a guesthouse temporarily while arrangement was being made in the jail.