Pandemonium in Haryana Assembly, Cong walks out over discussion on 'electoral reforms'

Chandigarh, Dec 22 (PTI) A motion to discuss elections and the voter roll revision exercise triggered stormy scenes in the Haryana Assembly, with the Congress MLAs walking out, saying the issue was beyond the purview of this House.

Proceedings of the House were marred by sloganeering, multiple walkouts, allegations of "objectionable comments, a brief adjournment due to the ruckus and later the assembly passed a resolution to "condemn the behaviour" of opposition leaders for not participating in what it said was an "important issue".

Defending the motion, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the Opposition has been levelling allegations of "vote chori" and has been creating "a state of confusion" even though his government has been elected with a big mandate.

It has to be debated in the assembly so that "people know the truth", Saini asserted.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that he failed to understand the objective of the motion. "Can we give direction to the Election Commission and discuss (electoral reforms) here?" the former chief minister said.

Other Congress leaders claimed that the issue was in the Union list, not the concurrent list, and so can not be debated in the House.

Saini defended the charges, saying that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has specifically named Haryana while making allegations of vote theft. Such serious allegations, he said, deserve a "responsible and fact-based discussion" within the House.

Even in this House, they have raised "vote chori" allegations, the CM said, pointing to Congress MLAs.

Gandhi has cited the electoral list data from Haryana to allege that 25 lakh entries were "fake" and the poll victory in the state was "stolen" from the Congress last year.

Hooda told the CM that Gandhi has not raised any question on the ruling party, but on the Election Commission.

The issue has been the cause of uproar even during the Monsoon and Winter sessions of Parliament, with the opposition demanding a debate on the SIR issue.

It was not discussed in the Monsoon session, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying that the SIR is part of the Election Commission’s mandate and the poll panel had conducted such exercises before. In the Winter session, however, the issue of "electoral reforms" was debated on December 9-10 for approximately 13 hours with the participation of 63 MPs.

BJP's Ram Kumar Kashyap and Yoginder Singh Rana moved the motion on the issue in the House on Monday. "That the situation arising out of the ongoing electoral reforms relating to the preparation of electoral rolls be discussed...," as per the motion.

The motion was taken up and Speaker Harvinder Kalyan reserved two hours of discussion on it.

After the motion was taken up for discussion, Congress's B B Batra said, "This is not a State subject. Under what rules can it be taken up in the Vidhan Sabha?" Speaker Kalyan told the Congress MLAs, "I have admitted it under the rules and you cannot challenge it." Amid the pandemonium that followed, the speaker had to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.

However, when the House resumed, many Congress members, including Kuldeep Vats, Induraj Narwal, Balram Dangi, Vikas Saharan, Jassi Petwar and some other party legislators repeatedly raised slogans.

After nearly an hour of bedlam, the Congress MLAs walked out of the House.

Later, they returned after a brief period, alleging that minister Vipul Goel made an "objectionable remark". Goel said he had not said anything unparliamentary. "Still, if anyone feels anything, I express regret," Goel said.

The Congress walked out again.

During the proceedings in the House, Congress leader Hooda said he failed to understand the objective of the motion. Reacting to Congress's objections, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda said when the Congress raises an issue and the government wants to discuss it, "they themselves run away".

"They misguided the people and created confusion by levelling vote theft allegations. When we want to answer the, they run away from the discussion," Dhanda said.

Dhanda said the Congress people will hit the streets and level allegations, "and when we confront them in the Vidhan Sabha, they want to run away from discussion".

Congress's Raghuvir Singh Kadian opposed the motion and said, "It is a subject of Union list and not in the Concurrent list. It cannot be discussed on the floor of the assembly." Congress MLAs raised slogans and said the government should discuss "real issues" like farmers, unemployment and rising prices.

The speaker said, "I want to make it clear that discussion is for people. If people of Haryana want clarity on any issue, it is the responsibility of the House that they should know".

With Congress members having walked out, Dhanda later moved a resolution, which was passed by the House to "condemn" the opposition party's "behaviour" and staying away from the discussion.

"Even in House, they level allegations of 'vote chori'. They blame us, the Election Commission and even cast aspersion on the voters who elected the BJP government with a big mandate," he said.

Chief Minister Saini said, "India is the world's largest democracy and the Election Commission is a constitutional body. Casting aspersions on such an institution, he remarked, is almost sacrilegious." Haryana minister Gaurav Gautam said the Congress has levelled "false accusations of vote theft" and its leaders carry hoardings of "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod" (vote thief, step down).

"They have defamed Haryana and when we want the issue to be discussed here. What objection should they have to it?" he said.

Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi also said Congress should apologise for its behaviour and for levelling "false allegations". PTI SUN VSD SKY SKY