Cong MLAs walk out amid ruckus in Vidhan Sabha
A heated exchange over alleged recruitment irregularities during the previous Congress government led to a walkout by Congress MLAs from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today. The Opposition protested the conduct of the Treasury Benches, accusing them of making baseless allegations.
Chaos over alleged job scam
- The BJP accused Congress of denying jobs to meritorious candidates in 2008
- The Congress protested against allegations and demanded a chance to respond
- Speaker Harvinder Kalyan warned Congress MLAs to maintain decorum
- Opposition staged a walkout amid slogans and counter-slogans
The uproar began during zero hour when Speaker Harvinder Kalyan invited BJP MLA Sunil Satpal Sangwan to raise his concerns. As Sangwan rose to speak, BJP MLA OP Yadav cited a court order, alleging that a topper was denied a government job in a 2008 recruitment drive under Congress rule.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda and Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel accused the Congress government of overlooking merit in recruitments, triggering protests from Congress MLAs.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini joined the debate, stating, “Injustice was done to the youth during the police inspector recruitment in 2008 under the Congress government, which is a matter of concern. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its judgment, had expressed concerns about the recruitment process followed at that time.”
He further alleged, “During the recent Assembly elections, Congress leaders misled the youth by promising jobs in exchange for securing 50 votes.”
Though former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was absent from the House, Congress MLAs fiercely countered the BJP's claims. The situation escalated when Congress members rushed to the well of the House, protesting against Energy Minister Anil Vij’s remarks, which were later expunged by the Speaker.
Demanding time to respond to the BJP’s accusations, Congress fielded former Speaker Raghuvir Kadian, who said, “The Speaker should restore order and allow us time to speak since BJP MLAs are repeatedly interrupting without the Chair’s permission.”
Speaker Kalyan sternly directed ministers to maintain decorum and asked Congress MLAs to return to their seats, warning them of disciplinary action if they failed to comply.
Feeling sidelined, Congress MLAs raised slogans and staged a walkout, even as some BJP legislators responded with chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
As calm returned to the House, Sangwan narrated an incident from the Congress era, claiming, “My father, then with Congress, once approached the government with a request to secure a job for his worker. He was told that recommendations were only entertained for relatives, not outsiders.”
