Haryana Assembly sees repeated adjournments on opening day

Chandigarh, Aug 22 (PTI) The Haryana Assembly was on Friday repeatedly adjourned and reconvened after it witnessed chaotic scenes when the main Opposition Congress demanded that the adjournment motion given by them on law and order be taken up soon after the House passed the obituary resolutions.

The Congress MLAs also raised slogans in the Assembly, which were countered by the ruling BJP members with slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram." Shortly after the Haryana Assembly, on the first day of its monsoon session, had paid tributes to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik, who passed away recently, the victims of the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash, April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and some others, Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal got up.

Addressing the Chair, Bhukkal said, "We have given an adjournment motion." She alleged that the law and order situation in Haryana is deteriorating and demanded that the adjournment motion be taken up, citing that under the rules, a matter of urgent public importance can be immediately taken up.

Bhukkal was soon joined by most Congress MLAs in the House who were up on their legs.

The Congress members flashed banners which read "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Kya Huva Kya Huva" and raised slogans. Many young Congress legislators, including Jassi Petwar, Balram Dangi and Vikas Saharan, were also among those who raised slogans.

Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, though present in the House, did not flash banners or participate in the sloganeering.

Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan told the Opposition members that let the Question Hour be taken up first, as several members have their questions listed on which the government is going to reply in the House.

But, Congress MLAs insisted on their demand, after which the Speaker told them, "Do you think Question Hour is not important?" As the uproar continued, many Congress MLAs rushed to the Well of the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda said that Congress members have come with a "pre-decided mind." Even when Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is Leader of the House, told the Congress members that the Opposition's question pertaining to the law and order issue can be raised during the Question Hour, the pandemonium continued.

Eventually, the Speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

As the proceedings resumed, Congress MLAs repeated their demand, again raising the banners they were carrying.

CM Saini told the Congress members that "We are ready to discuss the law and order issue".

Referring to the murder of 19-year-old teacher, Manisha, in Bhiwani, without taking her name, the CM said, "She (Manisha) is our daughter." Manisha was found dead under mysterious circumstance in Sayani village last week. The state government has decided to hand over the probe to the CBI as per her family's demands.

Saini then targeted the previous Congress regime and said, "During their time, not even FIRs used to be registered, which invited an objection from former CM Hooda.

"I want to tell the opposition to stop doing politics on this issue (on Manisha's death)," the CM said.

As the ruckus again continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for the second time for 20 minutes and then again for 30 minutes after it reconvened for a while. PTI SUN AMJ AMJ