 "Ex-Union minister Birender Singh, ex-MLA wife Prem Lata join Congress")
Former Union minister Birender Singh and his ex-MLA wife Prem Lata joined the Congress on Tuesday, a decade after quitting the party.
Their joining comes a month after their son Brijendra Singh, an outgoing MP from Hisar, joined the Congress after quitting the BJP.
Birender Singh (78) is the maternal grandson of farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram and had quit the Congress in 2014 to join the BJP.
He was Union minister for steel in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also held the charge of rural development, panchayati raj, and drinking water and sanitation.
On his return to the Congress, Birender Singh said, "It is not just my 'ghar wapsi' but also 'vichar wapsi'."
"It is the return of my ideology. If we have to save democracy, we have to rise and speak up against the government," he said.
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"The mood is changing in the country and it is because of the wrong policies of the government," he said.
He said he had met Sonia Gandhi the day he left the Congress and said for some reason he had to quit the Congress.
"I have done politics by annoying my superiors in the party," he admitted.
"I tried to resolve the farmer issues during their agitation. What has the farmer or the poor got even 33 years after economic reforms. Farmers have not got justice yet.
"But, the BJP is far from reality and one should not expect anything from the BJP. They shed artificial tears for the poor and do not mean anything for them," Singh alleged.
He said five hours before he was inducted into the cabinet, the prime minister met me, and "I told him that I am not one of those who would badmouth leaders and the party I have left behind."
Welcoming Birender Singh and Prem Lata into the Congress, party leader Mukul Wasnik said, "With their joining, I am sure the Congress will be strengthened in Haryana and help form the Congress government in the state."
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, "With his (Birender Singh) rejoining, he has proved the age-old saying, 'East or West, Home is the best'. He is my elder brother and I am very happy about his return to the Congress fold."
"We need to increase our strength by displaying unity and only then will we be able to save democracy and the Constitution," Hooda said.
AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala said, "This is an emotional moment for me and I welcome him into the party fold."
Other Congress leaders, including Kumari Selja, Haryana party chief Uday Bhan, former Haryana Assembly speaker Kiran Chaudhary, former Punjab deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and AICC OBC Cell head Capt Ajay Singh, Naseer Hussain and Pawan Khera were also present on the occasion.