Audio clip row: Speaker suspends 15 INLD legislators

› I have directed the director general of vigilance bureau to hold an inquiry into the alleged case of bribe given by a BJP leader, report of which will be submitted within a month.

ML KHATTAR, Haryana CM

CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar ordering a vigilance bureau (VB) inquiry into the allegations of bribe paid by a BJP leader to become chairperson of a municipal committee and speaker Kanwar Pal adjourning the House twice before suspending 15 Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislators till the duration of the budget session marked the stormy proceedings of the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.

Haryana assembly witnessed noisy scenes after the INLD continued to attack the BJP government and disrupted the House proceedings for around 80 minutes.

At the core of the INLD attack on the government was a secretly recorded audio allegedly involving two middle-rung state BJP leaders talking about how ₹75 lakh was allegedly paid to secure the post of a municipal committee chairperson last year. The twopart audio had been doing rounds on the social media.

Khattar said he has directed the director general of vigilance bureau to hold inquiry into this issue, which was also used by the INLD to corner the government on Monday.

Khattar said the probe will be completed within a month and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

As the INLD legislators led by the leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala did not relent and trooped into the well of the House, speaker repeatedly cautioned the unruly MLAS. The speaker had earlier adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each.

Finally, at 1.15pm, the speaker ordered the marshals to evict the INLD members from the House after suspending them for the remaining duration of the current budget session, which will conclude on March 15.

Kanwar Pal moved the resolution to suspend the INLD members which was passed with voice vote. The INLD has 19 members in the Vidhan Sabha.

Three INLD MLAS — Makhan Lal Singla (Sirsa), Hari Chand Middha (Jind) and Parminder Singh Dhull (Julana) — were not suspended and they later staged a walkout, which was joined by the lone Akali legislator, Balkaur Singh.

“The CM has made an attempt to give clean chit to person who is at the centre of this controversy,” Chautala said, the allegation that speaker stoutly refuted by reading out what Khattar had stated on this matter in the House. Khattar had refused to accede to the INLD demand of a CBI probe into the issue.