DW BUREAU / chandigarh Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the Congress government had given full benefit of reservation and proper representation to the backward classes, and only the Congress can protect the rights of the backward classes. Hooda, who had arrived in Jind today as the chief guest of the Haryana OBC convention organised by Ramesh Saini, Chairman, Haryana OBC Cell. Captain Ajay Yadav, National President of Congress Backward Classes Cell, was honoured for getting the new national responsibility. Addressing the program, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the sacrifice of all religions and castes in the independence movement, enabling us all to breathe in a free country. "Even today some forces want to jeopardize the freedom of the country by dividing people on the basis of caste and religion. But 36 fraternity should respond to the forces with solidarity. All of us should come together and ensure that everyone gets their right," he said. Hooda told that during his tenure, the government protected the rights of the backward and downtrodden. "Apart from the reservation given to the backward classes by his government, a historic decision was also taken to increase the reservation in Group A and B posts from 10 to 15%. A special provision was also made to give assured benefits to the most backward classes," he said. "For the children of backward classes, our government started scholarship from class 1 to class 12. Along with this, facility was also given for admission in ITI, Polytechnic and other technical educational institutions. The purpose was to ensure that children from the even the most backward sections of the society get an opportunity to move ahead by getting good education," he said. "The Congress government also gave lakhs of free plots of 100 yards to the SCs and Backwards. For the first time in the history of the state, his government waived off loans worth Rs 450 crore to the backward and poor. No government, before us or after us, took such a decision. We also made a provision to provide 5 acres of Panchayati land to the people belonging to the Most Backward Classes who make pottery," he added. Hooda said his government had formed Kesh Kala Board and Mitti Kala Board, to give representation to the backwards, besides giving representation of backward classes in different boards and corporations. "Social inclusion and representation of every class in the appointments was one of the central guiding principles of our government and is a matter of record that in his government, most of the chairman came from backward classes," he noted. He recalled that many leaders from the backward communities like Ramniwas Ghodela, Bhupendra Gangwa, Telu Ram Jangra, Yogendra Yogi. (editor@dailyworld.in)