When Congress MLA put BJP on the backfoot
CHANDIGARH: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on the defensive on Thursday, albeit for a short duration during the debate on motion of thanks on the governor’s address.
Haryana Vidhan Sabha repeatedly witnessed chaotic scenes after Ganaur MLA Kuldip Sharma (Cong) launched one after the other pointed attacks at the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government, prompting the treasury benches to launch a counter-offensive in the form of loud shouts.
Sharma’s offensive revolved around issues such as law and order, problems of the peasantry and what he said the ‘killings of civilians’ in the past three years, which were more than those in Jammu and Kashmir. His line of attack was so piercing that even chief minister Khattar had to stand up and clarify his position.
The House time and again witnessed the verbal duel between Sharma and agriculture minister OP Dhankar on farmers’ issues.
“The sugarcane growers are being forced to sell their produce in Uttar Pradesh,” Sharma said even as the agriculture minister refuted the claims.
“Haryana does not have any issue related to sugarcane. The opposition leader is trying to raise an issue that doesn’t exist,” Dhankar said.
As Sharma accused the government of not implementing the Swaminathan Commission report, Dhankar hit back, saying Congress was “anti-farmer party”.
“We have moved beyond minimum support price (MSP),” Dhankar said.
On the law and order front, he alleged incidents of loot, rapes and dacoity have increased.
“Everyone saw how Panchkula burned in August last year (during Dera issue violence) as administration allowed thousands of people to gather... this government only preaches ‘Haryana Ek Haryanvi Ek’, but in reality the state’s brotherhood was spoiled because of the policies they are pursuing,” he alleged.
The BJP MLAS were on their feet again when the Congress MLA alleged that “regional transport offices have become dens of corruption.”
DALAL ADVOCATES DIVERSIFICATION
Karan Dalal, the fifth term Congress MLA from Palwal, advised the government to seek its share of water from the Uttar Pradesh in the Agra canal.
Expressing concern over the groundwater table going down rapidly, he said farmers should be discouraged from paddy cultivation.
Dalal said the water table had gone down to alarming levels in 37 blocks across Haryana. He said government should encourage farmers to opt for crop diversification.
“The crop-diversification is the way forward. Paddy cultivation should be discouraged and alternative crops should be introduced with assured MSP,” he said.
Impressed with the suggestions of the Congress MLA, qgriculture minister OP Dhankar requested the speaker to allow Dalal more time to speak.
DON’T DISTORT FACTS, CM TELLS OPPN
Meanwhile, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar asked the opposition parties to shun the practice of “distorting facts” while speaking in the House so that people of the state are not misled.