Haryana assembly’s monsoon session lasts barely three hours
CORONAVIRUS SHADOW Congress stages two walkouts; INLD MLA Abhay Chautala indirectly attacks his nephew and deputy chief minister Dushyant, raises liquor and land registration ‘scams’
CHANDIGARH: Haryana lawmakers of the opposition political parties not only let the ruling BJP-JJP government push through the important legislative business, but also went on the offensive, demanding debate on ‘scams’ even as the assembly session held in the shadow of Covid-19 was wrapped up in barely three hours on Wednesday.
The House was adjourned sine die after the 170-minute proceedings during which the Congress staged two walkouts, while the lone Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA, Abhay Chautala, made his presence felt by indirectly attacking his nephew and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and raising what he called liquor and land registration scams.
In all, 12 bills were passed despite the Congress raising objections and making suggestions and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda reminding the treasury benches that during the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting, it was decided to introduce only urgent bills and not all.
Given the extraordinary circumstances in which the House assembled and in the absence of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, speaker Gian Chand Gupta, two ministers and some MLAs who tested positive for the Covid-19, the Congress didn’t go hammer and tongs after the government.
Instead, the principal opposition party just kept the government on the defensive.
The question hour was waived and instead, answers of the questions and written replies of two calling attention motions were tabled on the floor of the House.
As the session began at 2pm and deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa apprised the House of BAC decisions, a section of the Congress MLAs opposed the move.
Congress MLAs like BB Batra and Geeta Bhukkal, Narnaund MLA Ram Kumar Gautam (JJP) and Balraj Kundu (Independent) kept generating heat on the treasury benches.
And, the deputy speaker deflated every opposition attack by allowing the MLAs to air their views.
However, at this, home minister Anil Vij and parliamentary affairs minister Kanwar Pal reminded the Congress MLAs to respect the BAC decisions in which CLP leader Hooda represented them.
As the deputy speaker reminded the opposition members that House proceedings were being held under extraordinary circumstances to transact important business, Hooda reiterated that only important bills and supplementary estimates should be laid in the House and the remaining business, including adjournment and calling attention motions, should be kept pending for the next sitting of the assembly, whenever it is convened.
Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal interrupted the proceedings, demanding that higher education examinations should be put off in public interest, a point Hooda backed, saying the issue raised by her was valid.
The House saw a sharp verbal duel between Bhukkal and Kanwar Pal over the BAC decisions. Kanwar Pal took digs at Bhukkal, saying: “You are not speaking against the government, but against your own leader. The way Congress leaders are opposing BAC decisions, it shows their lack of confidence in Hooda.”
Kanwar Pal, who is also education minister, said the Khattarled BJP government will make appropriate arrangements to ensure exams are held smoothly.
“We don’t want these students to get labelled as corona degree holders,” the minister said after Bhukkal asked to defer the examination.
INLD MLA Abhay Chautala was also unimpressed with the BAC decisions.
He said the government did not invite him or any independent legislator to the BAC meeting. “Are you the only ones running the assembly? What about lone MLAs like me?” he asked.
“No one is dying of coronavirus here. Why can’t we have a discussion on corruption issues? Why did you call us from so far when all you wanted was a shortened session?” questioned Abhay.
TRIBUTES PAID TO SOLDIERS KILLED IN ACTION
The House observed two-minute silence in the memory of soldiers killed in action and the prominent personalities such as classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, who had died in recent past.
Deputy speaker Ranbir Singh Gangwa, deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, home minister Anil Vij, and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda read out the obituary resolutions.
Among the prominent personalities remembered were former Karnataka governor Hansraj Bhardwaj; former governor of Madhya Pradesh Lalji Tandon; former Haryana minister Mange Ram Gupta, MLA Sri Krishan Hooda and former MLA Mani Ram.
Among others remembered were freedom fighter Dhara Singh of Jhajjar’s Kulasi village and 25 soldiers of the state killed in action in past about six months.
The House also paid tributes to those 20 bravehearts who sacrificed their lives in the Galwan Valley on June 16.
The House placed on record its deep sense of sorrow on the sad and untimely demise of those ‘Corona Warriors’ and other people who have lost their lives due to Covid-19 pandemic.