HOW THE DRAMA UNFOLDED
The trouble began when Dalal was speaking on a calling attention notice he had moved. His contention was that about 25 lakh ration cards belonging to poor people have been removed from the list.
He said this had deprived people of Palwal from availing the facility and that poor people were running from pillar to post to get their names included in the list. When Dalal was speaking, BJP ministers Capt Abhimanyu and Om Parkash Dhankar were on their feet, questioning how Dalal could refer to his motherland as “kalankit rajya.”
Dalal repeatedly said that he used the phrase in different context. Dhankar raised a hue and cry and other BJP MLAs and ministers cornered Dalal.
Deputy speaker Santosh Yadav said she will expunge the remarks made by Dalal. But the BJP refused to budge, demanding action against Dalal for “demeaning Haryana and its people and the land of Gita.”
“Dalal has used abusive words against our motherland. He has abused Bhagwan Krishna,” Dhankar shouted. “He should apologise to 2.5 crore people of Haryana only then the dignity of this House can be restored,” Capt Abhimanyu said.As the deputy speaker asked Dalal to clarify his position, the minister said: “We don’t want clarification, we want action against Dalal.”
No Congress MLA came to Dalal’s recue, who kept saying he had used the word in a different context.The ruling BJP forced the first 10-minute adjournment at 12.54pm.
After the House reassembled, speaker Kanwar Pal endorsed the contention of the treasury benches. Din prevailed as Dhankar demanded suspension of the Congress MLA.
“The words you used were in bad taste. I have seen the record,” the speaker also said even as Abhimanyu gave further push to ‘oust-Dalal’ move, saying the BJP will not let Congress refer to Haryana as “Kalankit rajya” and questioned the INLD’s stand. It was at this point that Chautala stood up to endorse the BJP’s stand and asked to move resolution. This provoked Dalal leading to a face-off between Dalal and Chautala, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House at 1.18 pm. Capt Abhimanyu moved the resolution to suspend Dalal for one year. Congress leaders Hooda and Kadian said moving the resolution without giving Dalal a chance to explain his case would be against the spirit of the law and the House, while the BJP chorus “Dalal cannot be pardoned” grew louder. Finally, the House adopted the resolution.