Congress legislators walked out of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today after being denied permission to bring a resolution condemning the conduct of a BJP minister and an MLA. The Speaker, Harvinder Kalyan, said the issue had been closed and the entire spat had been expunged from the proceedings.

Damages our reputation

This damages our reputation, and I will not allow this as the custodian of the House. – Harvinder Kalyan, speaker

As soon as the question hour concluded during the ongoing budget session, Congress MLA Ashok Arora raised concerns over the verbal showdown between the two BJP leaders in the House. He termed the exchange as “unfortunate” and demanded an inquiry into the corruption allegations made by the BJP MLA against the minister.

“The MLA alleged that the minister had taken Rs 10 lakh from his relative. This is a serious issue. Either a committee of the House should be constituted to probe the allegations or a sitting high court judge should hold an inquiry,” Arora said.

However, Kalyan reiterated that the spat had been expunged and could only be investigated if a formal complaint was submitted. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda acknowledged that the use of such language was inappropriate and assured that action would be taken if a complaint was received.

Rejecting this stance, the Congress argued that no written complaint was necessary since the allegations were made on the floor of the House. Former Speaker and Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian condemned the incident, saying, “The spat, the language, and the allegations have lowered the dignity of the House and the stature of MLAs.”

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also weighed in, saying, “Two incidents took place yesterday — the spat between an MLA and a minister, in which corruption allegations were levelled, and Congress MLA Ashok Arora’s statement that a former BJP MLA was threatening to send him to jail. The Speaker should have taken cognisance or the government should have initiated a probe. A resolution should be brought in the House condemning the conduct of the MLA and the minister.”

While the BJP MLA in question remained silent during the proceedings, the minister did not attend the session, citing “social engagements.”

As the Congress attempted to move a resolution, the Speaker refused, urging members to focus on public issues rather than internal disputes. “This damages our reputation and I will not allow this as the custodian of the House,” he said, making a passionate appeal for order.

Defending the decision, Dhanda said, “A resolution will not be brought just because the Congress wants it.” He also accused Congress legislators of being unruly despite the Speaker’s repeated appeals for decorum.

Unhappy with the response from the treasury Benches, Congress MLAs staged a walkout, raising slogans in protest.