Rural development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh attacks Bhupinder Singh Hooda

New Delhi: Rural development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh on Tuesday launched a frontal attack on his Congress rival Bhupinder Singh Hooda, demanding a probe into the cash-for-change of land use scam that surfaced during his rule in Haryana.

“I am on record... The total cash-for-change of land use (in Haryana) should be probed. They (the BJP government) have already committed (to a probe),” Mr Singh, now BJP’s Jat face in Haryana, said. The Haryana lokayukta has already directed the state police to hold investigation into the alleged scandal and submit its report in three months.

Mr Singh, who took over as the minister for rural development said the Congress will be in same position for 10 years. “Transfer of vote from the Congress to the BJP is complete now. In Haryana and nationally, the Congress will be in same position,” he said.

“My leaving Congress was very simple. The Congress was in the pocket of Mr Hooda as far as Haryana is concerned. I told Congress president Sonia Gandhi that if this situation continues, I will not be in the party,” he said.