Getting no seat on dais, MLA walks out of meeting

The incident

*The row began when the MLA who was sitting on the stage went to the gate of the mini secretariat to receive the minister on his arrival

*As the minister, MLA and officials came back to the meeting hall, the seat earlier occupied by the MLA was taken by a police official

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Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, January 27

A row erupted during a meeting of the grievances committee in Jind town on Monday.

The BJP MLA from Jind, Krishan Lal Middha, walked out of the meeting which was chaired by minister Anoop Dhanak after the MLA failed to get a proper seat on the dais at the mini secretariat in Jind town.

The row began when the MLA who was sitting on the stage went to the gate of the mini secretariat to receive the minister on his arrival. As the minister, MLA and officials came back to the meeting hall, the seat earlier occupied by the MLA was taken by a police official.

Other dignitaries too took their seats while the MLA remained standing. Middha, then, dragged another chair from the second row and sat on it. However, the MLA apparently felt insulted over the seating arrangement and walked away from the venue silently.

The members of the grievances committee belonging to the BJP raised objection over the alleged “humiliation” meted out to the MLA at the meeting. They also walked out of the meeting.

They alleged that the MLA has been humiliated as a police official took the seat designated for the MLA.

However, sensing the issue, the Minister of State for Archaeological and Museums Anoop Dhanak got up and tried to placate the members of the grievances committee.

Dhanak, who seemed to be unaware of the seating arrangement at the dais, immediately went to meet the MLA and brought him back after some time. Then, the meeting was restarted.

In the evening, the minister visited the house of the MLA for tea and the MLA too reciprocated the gesture by honouring the minister with a shawl. In a joint statement, the minister and MLA stated that they discussed issues for the development of Jind district during the meeting.