Hooda meets hunger strikers in Panchkula over HPSC job bias row
Synopsis
Senior Congress leader and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda personally visited indefinite hunger strikers in Panchkula, accusing the BJP government of rigging HPSC recruitment to favour outsiders and weaponising the 35% criteria to deny local youth their jobs — a charge that sharpens the political battle over state employment ahead of any fresh recruitment cycle.
Key Takeaways
Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda met hunger strikers in Sector-5, Panchkula on 26 June .
Protesters are on an indefinite fast alleging HPSC favours candidates from outside Haryana in Class A and B government jobs.
Hooda demanded the scrapping of the 35 per cent criteria , calling it a tool to block local recruitment.
Vacancies in posts reserved for Backward Class and Scheduled Caste categories are allegedly being left unfilled deliberately.
Congress pledged to fight the issue both in the legislature and through street protests.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Friday, 26 June visited protesting youth in Sector-5, Panchkula, who are on an indefinite hunger strike demanding action against the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) over alleged recruitment bias favouring candidates from outside the state in government jobs. Hooda appealed to the fasting protesters to call off their fast while pledging Congress's full support for their cause.
What the Protesters Are Demanding
The youth on hunger strike allege that the HPSC has been appointing candidates from other states in Class A and B government posts, bypassing eligible local applicants. They have also raised concerns over deliberate vacancies in posts reserved for Backward Class (BC) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories, and have called for the scrapping of the 35 per cent criteria, which they claim is being weaponised to avoid making recruitments.
What Hooda Said at the Protest Site
Addressing the media at the protest site, Hooda squarely blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana for the crisis. 'The demands of the youth, who are fasting in protest against the HPSC's rigging of recruitment processes that deprives Haryanvi youth of jobs, are completely legitimate. The government must accept their demands without delay and bring the hunger strike to an end,' he said.
The two-time Chief Minister also flagged the deteriorating health of the protesters. 'The health of the fasting youth is steadily deteriorating. To make matters worse, the scorching heat and the government's apathy are akin to rubbing salt into their wounds,' Hooda told reporters.
Congress's Stand on Haryana Job Recruitment Row
Hooda assured the protesters that the Indian National Congress (INC) would fight for their rights both in the legislature and on the streets. 'The process to fill posts that were deliberately left vacant must begin with immediate effect, as the patience of the youth is running out. They have been forced to abandon their books and take to the streets in protest,' he said.
He argued that the 35 per cent criteria had been turned into a tool to deny Haryana's youth their rightful share of government employment and demanded its immediate removal. 'The Congress stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the youth in this struggle,' he added.
Background and Broader Context
The HPSC recruitment controversy has simmered for months, with youth groups alleging systemic bias in hiring for state government positions. This is not the first time Haryana's job recruitment framework has come under political scrutiny — similar protests have erupted over domicile criteria and reservation implementation in previous years. The indefinite hunger strike in Panchkula represents a fresh escalation, drawing senior opposition leadership to the protest site and intensifying pressure on the ruling BJP government ahead of any forthcoming recruitment cycles.
With the Congress vowing sustained agitation and the health of hunger strikers reportedly worsening, the state government faces mounting pressure to respond formally to the protesters' demands.
Point of View
The HPSC controversy hands Congress a ready-made mobilisation issue among the state's large aspirant-class youth. The 35% criteria dispute is not new; it has resurfaced repeatedly without resolution, suggesting the state government has chosen to absorb political cost rather than overhaul a recruitment framework that suits its current calculus. What's missing from the public debate is independent scrutiny of HPSC appointment data: until the actual share of 'outsider' appointments is verified and published, both the government's denials and the opposition's charges remain unverifiable claims. The hunger strikers' deteriorating health makes inaction increasingly untenable — and politically costly for the ruling dispensation.
NationPress
26 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are youth protesting against the HPSC in Panchkula?
Protesters allege that the Haryana Public Service Commission has been appointing candidates from outside Haryana in Class A and B government jobs, sidelining local applicants. They are also demanding that vacancies reserved for Backward Class and Scheduled Caste categories be filled and that the 35 per cent criteria be scrapped.
What is the 35 per cent criteria that Hooda wants scrapped?
The 35 per cent criteria is a recruitment threshold that protesters and Hooda allege is being used by the Haryana government to avoid making appointments rather than as a genuine merit benchmark. Hooda has demanded its immediate removal so that vacant posts can be filled without delay.
What did Bhupinder Hooda say at the Panchkula protest site?
Hooda called the protesters' demands 'completely legitimate' and blamed the BJP government for forcing youth to abandon their studies and take to the streets. He also flagged the worsening health of hunger strikers and pledged that Congress would fight the issue both inside the legislature and on the streets.
What is Congress's position on the HPSC recruitment controversy?
The Indian National Congress, through Hooda, has demanded that the government immediately accept the protesters' demands, scrap the 35 per cent criteria, and begin the process of filling deliberately vacant posts. The party has pledged sustained support for the agitation.
What happens next in the Haryana HPSC protest?
The hunger strike was ongoing as of 26 June, with protesters' health reportedly deteriorating. The Haryana government has not yet publicly responded to the demands. Congress has warned of continued agitation, raising the political stakes for the ruling BJP ahead of any fresh HPSC recruitment cycle.
