A recent private dinner hosted by Union Minister of State, Rao Inderjit Singh, for a group of 12 MLAs from South Haryana in Chandigarh sparked intense political speculation within the state. On July 2, 2025, Haryana’s Power, Transport, and Labour Minister, Anil Vij, addressed the media regarding the event, decisively downplaying its political significance.
🍽️ Anil Vij Calls Dinner ‘Normal Social Process’
Responding to questions from reporters in Chandigarh, Minister Anil Vij characterized the gathering as a routine social event, dismissing suggestions of any political undercurrents or factionalism within the ruling party.
He stated that if some public representatives choose to dine together in a spirit of mutual goodwill and coordination, there should be no political meaning derived from it. He clarified:
“If some people dine together in mutual goodwill, no political meaning should be derived from it… Had I been invited, I would have attended also.”
Vij further emphasized that it is a “normal social process” for a public representative to dine with colleagues or people from their constituency (which in this case were MLAs from the South Haryana region, often referred to as the Ahirwal belt).
🤝 The Rao Inderjit Factor
The dinner had drawn particular scrutiny because Rao Inderjit Singh is considered a prominent leader, and his daughter, Arti Rao, is currently a minister in the Haryana government. Vij mentioned this relationship to reinforce his point, noting that the presence of MLAs at a dinner hosted by a Central Minister whose daughter is a state minister is not “unusual.”
Vij’s statement served to quell rumors of potential political regrouping or disagreement between the Central and state leadership, insisting that the focus should remain on governance rather than “dinner diplomacy” interpretations.
