Gangwa brushes off ‘dinner diplomacy’ buzz, rules out factionalism in party

Haryana PWD and Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa today brushed aside speculation surrounding a recent gathering hosted by Union Minister Rao Inderjeet Singh, attended by 12 MLAs. The event, dubbed “dinner diplomacy” by political observers, triggered talk of factionalism within the BJP, which Gangwa firmly denied.

“I have no information about it, nor was I invited. I only came to know about it through media reports. It does not seem like a show of strength —perhaps it was just a personal programme. Even if a few leaders had dinner together, it is not a big deal,” said Gangwa while speaking to reporters at the PWD Rest House in Karnal.

Gangwa was in the city to extend invitations for the state-level Maharaja Daksha Prajapati Jayanti celebrations scheduled for July 13 in Bhiwani.

Reiterating party unity, he said, “All BJP leaders are united under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The government is functioning smoothly under their guidance.”

Responding to a question on the Congress party’s revival attempts in Haryana, Gangwa launched a sharp attack, alleging deep-rooted factionalism.

“Congress has not had a united structure in the state for years. The party is divided into factions — be it Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala or any others. Even if a leader from one group is appointed to a top post, others pull them down. Congress has lost faith,” he said.

Commenting on the INLD’s protest against the power tariff hike, the minister was dismissive.

“If they do not protest or say anything, how will you (media) publish news? Such activities are done to stay in the headlines,” he said.

Defending the recent electricity tariff hike, Gangwa said the move spares small consumers and farmers.

“The government has removed minimum monthly charges to give relief to small consumers. Farmers haven’t been affected. This is the first minor hike in 11 years. Salaries of employees and income of farmers have also increased during this period,” he said.

Later, the minister chaired a review meeting of Public Health and PWD officials to assess ongoing development projects in Karnal. He issued clear directives to ensure timely completion and quality control.

“No negligence in development works will be tolerated. Officials must monitor contractor work on-site and grant NOCs only after satisfactory inspection,” he warned.

He emphasised immediate attention to monsoon-related road repairs, especially in Indri and surrounding areas, stating that some roads requiring full reconstruction would be completed within this year.

To prevent monsoon waterlogging, Gangwa instructed officials to ensure unclogged drainage and sewer systems and asked for prompt submission of proposals for areas lacking drainage infrastructure.

Haryana Tribune