In 1996, while operating a computer at the BJP office in Panchkula, Nayab Singh Saini had never imagined that he would one day become the Chief Minister of Haryana.

Years later came an electoral defeat in 2009 but a decisive victory in 2014 and eventually opportunities to serve as a minister, a Member of Parliament, the state BJP President and now the Chief Minister.

Sharing his journey with young entrepreneurs at the ‘Gen-H Yuva Udyami Chaupal’ in Gurugram University in Gurugram on Friday, CM Saini said there were no shortcuts in his journey, only the steady climb of hard work.

Referring to the young participants as Gen-H, the Chief Minister gave the expression a wider meaning. “You call it Gen-H for Haryana; I would call it Gen-HB — Haryana-Bharat. Gen-HB is the heartbeat of India,” he said.

In a candid interaction, young entrepreneurs asked the Chief Minister direct questions about advancing in politics without a legacy, recovering from failure, technology, sports, employment, the challenge of drug abuse, startups, the pace of government functioning and family.

The programme was watched live across more than 4,000 institutions. Drawing from his own experiences, the Chief Minister urged young people not to allow failure to become their identity, but to let their work define them.

Rather than chasing quick success, he asked them to make consistency, credibility and patience their strengths. Asked how he had reached this far in politics despite having no one behind him, CM Saini said his journey had no lift, only stairs, and there were times when even the next step was not visible.

After entering politics, he recalled his first electoral responsibility was not to contest an election himself but to help someone else fight one.

During that election, he worked until 2 a.m. When he was asked to contest in 2009 he did not have the money, but people came forward and helped him fight the election. He lost in 2009, but decided that defeat would not become his identity; instead, he would learn from it.

The very next day, he was back among the people. There was no position in hand and no assurance of another ticket, but he had made the decision to continue working. It was this approach, he said, that led to his victory by a significant margin in 2014.

The Chief Minister also recalled 1996 when Narendra Modi was the BJP in-charge for Haryana and had sent a computer to the party office in Panchkula. CM Saini said while operating that computer at the party office he had never imagined that he would one day become Chief Minister.

Referring to the period before 2014, the Chief Minister said there was a time when the youth were used for politics, but if a young person sought to move ahead in politics, that aspiration was suppressed.

Asked what the 2009 electoral defeat had taught him, the Chief Minister said he rose again the very same day with twice the enthusiasm. For him, a position had never been important; the spirit of ‘Nation First’ had always remained paramount.

The Chief Minister said his desire to help people led to the support he received in 2014. People elected him and the party entrusted him with ministerial responsibility.

The opportunities that followed, to serve as Member of Parliament, state BJP President and the Chief Minister, were the outcome of people’s affection, his sense of responsibility towards them and the opportunities given to him by the party.

Punjab BJP President, Kewal Singh Dhillon, on Friday condemned remarks by Congress leaders describing former MP Sajjan Kumar, an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, as a “role model.” He said that this statement once again exposed the party’s anti-Sikh mindset.Dhillon said even after 42 years of the horrific and painful 1984 riots, the wounds of the victim families remain unhealed.

At such a sensitive time, describing a key accused in the massacre as a “role model” is a condemnable attempt to rub salt into the wounds of the victim families and reopen their painful memories, he said.He further said no amount of condemnation “is enough for Congress’ anti-Sikh mindset. The Congress has repeatedly acted in a manner that has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community”.

Dhillon asked the party to unconditionally apologise to the families of the victims and the entire Sikh community for such irresponsible and shameful statements made by its leaders.Kumar, who was serving life imprisonment in connection with the riots, died on Thursday at a Delhi hospital at the age of 80.Kumar, who was lodged in Tihar Jail, was taken to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated. Doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.

The former Congress leader had been convicted for his role in the violence in Delhi’s Palam Colony on November 1 and 2, 1984, following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards.On December 17, 2018, the Delhi High Court overturned a trial court’s 2013 verdict acquitting Kumar in the case. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The case related to the murder of five Sikh men in Raj Nagar Part I, Palam Colony, as well as the burning of a gurdwara during the widespread violence.the High Court held Kumar guilty of criminal conspiracy and abetment and directed that he remain in prison for the remainder of his natural life. In its judgment, the court had described the 1984 anti-Sikh violence as “crimes against humanity”.

Congress leaders, who have been accompanying Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during his sit-in outside a Delhi police station on Friday, asserted that the agitation will continue till the police registers a fresh First Information Report (FIR) as sought by a purported pellet-gun victim.

LoP Gandhi, who was later joined by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is staging the sit-in outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station, protesting the alleged refusal of the police to register an FIR on a complaint by a student, Sahil Lochab, who the Congress claimed, suffered pellet-gun injuries during last month’s protests demanding education reforms at Jantar Mantar.

Speaking to reporters, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said: “His (Lochab’s) lawyer has demanded the registration of an FIR. This is not some general FIR but rather a strictly defined one, concerning the illegal manner in which police action took place (against Sahil), where pellet guns were used.”Maintaining that their demand has not been accepted yet, he said: “Discussions must be going on. They must have spoken to the Home Secretary, they must have spoken to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, and ultimately, they have to speak to the Home Minister. But so far, nothing has been conveyed to us.”

“Rahul ji is absolutely clear: Until an FIR is registered, and a new FIR registration number is given, we will not leave from here,” he asserted.Admitting that a general FIR regarding complaints against the alleged police action during the July 20 Parliament march has been registered, Ramesh specified that the pellet gun victim has sought a new FIR.”It is completely unacceptable and condemnable that the BJP is viewing the matter through the lens of polarisation.”Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma also took part in the agitation.

“This is a very shameful matter. The democratic right of an ordinary citizen states that if any injustice is done to him, an FIR should be registered. But they are not even registering that as the government is scared,” Sharma remarked while speaking to IANS.”The Leader of the Opposition had to come here… Does any investigation take place without registering an FIR? Why is the government scared about the truth coming out regarding who ordered the use of pellet guns? The Home Minister didn’t come to the Parliament and FIRs are also not being registered,” he said.

Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, who was also present at the site, said: “Our fight will continue till the government reveals the truth regarding who ordered the firing of pellet guns on students.”Meanwhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told reporters in Uttar Pradesh that Rahul Gandhi has gone to “secure the right of a victim”.

“The pellet gun was fired on the 20th (of July). Today, it has been over a month, yet no FIR has been filed so far. So, Rahul Gandhi went to file an FIR to seek justice in accordance with the laws of India. Under Indian law—and anywhere in the world—filing an FIR is every victim’s absolute right. He went there to secure the right of a victim, and all of us stand with him in this struggle,” he said.Further, he accused the Centre of “shielding the accused”.In Rajasthan, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said: “Rahul Gandhi is making every effort to ensure that those people get justice…The youths who were hit by pellet guns…Everyone has the right to seek justice…”