At a largely-attended rally at the home turf of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Bishnoi, suspended from Congress for his diatribe against party leadership, and his father unveiled the plaque marking the launch of the new party "Haryana Janhit Congress" with rising sun as its symbol.

Bhajan Lal, 77, did not speak at the rally but Bishnoi, the Lok Sabha MP from Bhiwani, who would be the President of the new outfit, mounted a scathing attack on Sonia Gandhi accusing her of being "power-hungry" and "murdering democracy in the party by foisting Hooda as Chief Minister against wishes of of party MLAs and people of the state."

He said people had voted Congress to power hoping that Bhajan Lal would be the Chief Minister.

Bishnoi alleged Gandhi had "no respect for people "sentiments" and had even "questioned the existence of Lord Rama", an apparent reference to the Centre's affdiavit on Ram Sethu issue.

"You have to decide whether you want Rama or Rome," he told rallyists in remarks reminscent of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's recent utterance that it was a "battle between Ram and Rome".