Congress walks out over CM’s remark in MLA case

Congress MLAs walked out of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today over CM Nayab Singh Saini’s remarks in the misbehaviour incident with Thanesar Congress MLA Ashok Arora during a meeting of the Thanesar Municipal Council.

The issue arose when the Chairperson of the Privilege Committee of the Vidhan Sabha, Mool Chand Sharma, who is inquiring into Arora’s complaint of misbehaviour, sought more time to submit his final report.

A former CM, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, intervened, stating that the individuals against whom the privilege complaint was made were not eligible to attend the meeting. He added, “I had seen the video. I had talked to SP (Kurukshetra), but he didn’t do anything. A Station House Officer is not listening to MLA Vinesh Phogat’s phone. The officials are not listening to Sirsa MLA. But shadow MLAs have been appointed (in Congress constituencies) and going to our constituencies, and their names are appearing on inauguration boards.”

Saini said the person against whom the complaint was made was a close friend of Arora. “Woh log to ek hi thali mein khate the,” he remarked.

Arora retorted, “A king has to do justice... ‘Harishchander bano, na ki Dhrishtrashtra’.” He complained that after the misbehaviour incident with him, the CM had made the statement that the councillors had gone there to drop off their wives.

Saini replied that the Privilege Committee had to decide the complaint after hearing all the parties. “The people against whom the allegations were made are also elected by people like us,” he said.

After the CM’s remark, Congress MLAs, including Hooda, BB Batra, Geeta Bhukkal, and Arora, protested and walked out of the House. Batra wanted to raise a point, but was not allowed.

Arora, in his breach of privilege complaint, dated June 3, to Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, alleged that the husbands of councillors Narender Sharma, Satish Madaan and Suresh Kumar abused him at a meeting of the Thanesar local body on May 23, when he objected to the executive office of the MC over their presence. He added that they used foul language and threatened him with dire consequences. A video of the meeting was also circulated on social media.

Sharma is the husband of Parveen Sharma, councillor of Ward No. 2; Madaan is the husband of Nisha Madaan, councillor of Ward No. 7; and Kumar is the husband of Bakshish Kaur, councillor of Ward No. 14.