BJP’s Privilege Motion against 2 Congress MLAs admitted; walkout staged in Haryana Vidhan Sabha

On the second day of the Monsoon session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, BJP leaders moved privilege motions against two Congress MLAs, Jassi Petwar and Indu Raj Narwal. The motions were admitted and referred to the Privileges Committee of the Legislative Assembly.

Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa moved a privilege motion in the House against Congress MLA Jassi Petwar for allegedly using indecent language against Speaker Harvinder Kalyan on August 27. More than 15 members stood in support of the motion, following which it was admitted.

Gangwa said he had been observing the proceedings of the House for the past two years. He added that the Speaker had, in fact, given more time to the Opposition than to the treasury benches.

He alleged that Congress MLA Jassi Petwar had accused the Speaker of bias and prejudice in the discharge of his office. Serious allegations and adverse comments were made using insulting and objectionable language on social media, he claimed.

However, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda came to Petwar’s defence and told the Speaker that it would set a wrong precedent to take cognisance of something said on social media. However, the Speaker did not relent.

In his turn, Petwar did not mince words while speaking about the role of the Speaker. He said that Congress MLAs were manhandled and that 78-year-old Hooda was pushed around at the gate of the Vidhan Sabha during their protest on August 27.

He claimed that the police even hit the former Chief Minister with an elbow. He specifically mentioned the names of MLAs Chander Prakash, Shakuntla Khatak and Kuldeep Vats, whom he claimed were manhandled. “Who was responsible for this? The MLAs of both the treasury benches and the Opposition were in the Well, but you (Speaker) only named us. I had just stated that whatever happened with us, the Speaker’s attitude was not good,” he said.

Petwar was named on August 27 as he, along with other party MLAs, protested against their alleged manhandling by the police.

After the Speaker referred the privilege motion against Petwar to the Privileges Committee, Congress MLAs, including Hooda, stood up in protest. They started raising slogans: “Dictatorship will not be tolerated… Dictatorship will not be tolerated.” After that, the Congress MLAs staged a symbolic walkout from the House.

Then, BJP MLA Laxman Yadav moved a privilege motion against Congress MLA Indu Raj Narwal for snatching the poster that his fellow party MLA Jarnail Singh was carrying.

Singh is running suspended from the Congress after he allegedly cross-voted for a BJP-backed Independent candidate during the March 16 Rajya Sabha polls.

The Congress MLAs, who had returned to the House by then, were surprised at the second privilege motion. The party’s chief whip, BB Batra, commented that it appeared the BJP did not want the House to function.

In his turn to speak against the privilege motion, Indu Raj Narwal also did not mince words about the role of the Speaker. He said, “…the entire state is watching the proceedings of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. You (Speaker) said that one couldn’t bring placards inside the House. BJP’s Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam gave the placard to Jarnail Singh. Are there different rules for Congress MLAs and BJP MLAs?”