Speaker rejects INLD adjourn move on Jat reservation

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3

Demanding an adjournment motion on Jat reservation, the INLD today raised anti-government slogans in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha and demanded a two-line unanimous resolution supporting the cause.

Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala pointed to the “contradictory signals” of the ruling party on Jat reservation when the proceedings of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha opened on the second day of the monsoon session here today.

Stating that the party’s opinion seemed divided between those supporting reservation for the Jats and those opposed to it, Abhay said BJP MP from Kurukshetra Rajkumar Saini had openly expressed his opposition to the grant of the OBC status to the Jats, while state ministers Capt Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar had pledged to struggle for the cause.

In response to the INLD’s demand, Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar said the adjournment motion had been rejected as it was not urgent. He urged the INLD to allow the Question Hour to begin.

However, the INLD MLAs protested by raising slogans against the rejection of the motion even as the Congress joined the chorus, demanding a discussion on the matter. Unwilling to take a “no’ for an answer, the protests continued even as ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and Capt Abhimanyu urged the Speaker to proceed with the Question Hour.

The unrelenting INLD, however, insisted that the House must pass a two-line resolution stating it supported the OBC status for the Jats. At this, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar intervened and said he sympathised with the Jats and supported reservation, dismissing the contention that there was any contradiction in the government stand.

Khattar, however, said it was the responsibility of the public representatives to ensure that the proceedings of the House were run smoothly.

“The Question Hour is important for the members of the House,” he said, adding the issue could be discussed later.

The Speaker then converted the INLD’s adjournment motion into a calling attention motion and assured the MLAs that a discussion on the issue would be held tomorrow.