Haryana Assembly on Monday witnessed noisy scenes and verbal duel between the treasury Benches and the Opposition on the issue of corruption charges against Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) chairman, forcing Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar to adjourn the House and also ‘name’ the entire Opposition for disrupting the House proceedings.
The trouble began during the zero hour when INLD MLA Jasvinder Singh Sandhu demanded admission of an adjournment motion to discuss the audio conversations, which went viral on social media, allegedly claiming HSSC chairman Bharat Bhushan Bharti involvement in corruption.
The Speaker rejected the demand saying that the two audio conversations between two people are contradictory.
Following this, all INLD legislators were on their feet and demanded an enquiry into the matter and resignation of HSSC chairperson. The Congress also backed the INLD’s demand and sought a reply from the Chief Minister.
Responding on the issue, Chief Minister Manohar Lal said, “I have listened to both audio conversations. The Government will get an enquiry done into the matter and will expose those behind the entire conspiracy.”
Dissatisfied with CM’s reply, the INLD and Congress MLAs demanded that an FIR should be registered into the matter and the Government should sought resignation of HSSC chairperson to ensure a fair enquiry.
Leader of Opposition and INLD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala demanded that an enquiry by the CBI into the corruption allegations leveled against Bharat Bhushan Bharti.
To pacify the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told them that the Government will get a vigilance enquiry done into the matter.
The Opposition, however, remained adamant on the demand of resignation of HSSC chairperson and registration of an FIR to initiate an enquiry into the corruption charges.
Intervening again, the Chief Minister assured the House that a fair investigation would be done into the audio conversations and strict action will be taken against the guilty. On Opposition’s query about which agency would inquire into the allegations, Manohar Lal said that it is Government’s prerogative to decide.
Taking strong exception to CM’s statement, Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala said that the BJP led State Government should ask Bharat Bhushan to resign and then do an investigation into the matter. A CBI enquiry should be marked into the issue and the Government should not try to save the accused, he added.
Both, INLD and Congress legislators targeted the State Government over the issue and repeatedly shouted slogan against the government.
Reacting sharply to opposition’s protest, the Chief Minister said that there is a trend of dirty politics… Anyone goes to media these days and make allegations, said he. The complainant should come and get an FIR register and we will conduct an enquiry into the issue. The said person issued two audio conversations and these are contradictory, he said.
There is no question of resignation of HSSC chairman. We will get a preliminary enquiry done into the audio conversations and we will expose the conspiracy behind this, he added.
Manohar Lal’s reply on the issue for the third time in the House, however again, failed to pacify the Opposition legislators, who continued to raise their demands.
After repeated pleas from the Speaker to the INLD and Congress legislators to remain seated, went unheeded, the Speaker announced to adjourn the House for 20 minutes.
Later, the Deputy Speaker Santosh Yadav announced to adjourn the House for another half an hour.
When the House reconvened, INLD and Congress MLAs remained adamant on their demand of registration of an FIR and resignation of HSSC chairperson.
The Chief Minister, then, told the House that such action cannot be taken against someone on the basis of a conversation between two people. Accusations have been made against Bharat Bhushan’s son and not him, he said.
The Government will get the viral audio conversations investigated and accordingly, an FIR would be registered in the case. Politics should not be done on the issue, he said.
He added that in last three years, there have not been a single complaint against HSSC and there is no reason for the chairman to resign.
Following this, the Speaker ‘named’ INLD MLA Jasvinder Singh for repeatedly disrupting the House proceedings. The Speaker’s decision triggered angry reactions from the INLD MLAs who raised slogans, “Bhrashtachar ki Sarkar, Murdabad”.
“The State Government is saving corrupt people and we are being punished for raising the issue in the House,” alleged INLD’s Abhay Chautala.
The INLD members continued their sloganeering against the Government while Speaker warned them of strict action. After the never-ending logjam continued in the State Assembly, the Speaker ‘named’ all the INLD legislators present in the House for their ‘unruly behaviour’ and directed to send the MLAs out of the House.
Marshals were called in to take the INLD legislators out of the House.
The INLD legislators then rushed to the well of the House to protest against Speaker’s decision. Later, they left the House amid sloganeering against the ruling BJP.
Moments later, the Speaker also ‘named’ Congress legislators for disrupting the House proceedings on the same issue. In protest, the agitated Congress MLAs shouted slogans “Tanashahi nahi chalegi” against the Haryana Government while leaving the House.