Stormy winter session likely as Assembly meets from Dec 18

The Haryana Assembly is gearing up for what is expected to be a stormy three-day winter session beginning December 18, with both the ruling BJP and the Opposition preparing to lock horns over a wide range of issues.

Point, counter point

“The Congress will target the BJP Government for its failure on all fronts in the upcoming winter session. The BJP government has failed all sections.”

— Aftab Ahmed, Nuh MLA

“The achievements of the double-engine government under Prime Minister Modi will be highlighted during the session. The Opposition has run out of issues.”

— Mahipal Dhanda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister

The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, today recommended holding the winter session on December 18, 19 and 22. The final schedule and duration will be decided by the Business Advisory Committee, which includes CM Saini, Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda, among others.

Anticipating a heated session, Congress MLA from Nuh Aftab Ahmed said the Opposition would raise the BJP government’s “failure on all fronts”, alleging that law and order had deteriorated sharply. “The situation has come to such a pass that an ADGP-level officer had to commit suicide and gangsters are calling shots across the state instilling a sense of insecurity among the residents,” he said.

Aftab added that the paddy scam, slow lifting of paddy, poor delivery of citizen services and the government’s “failure to fulfil its pre-poll promises” would be among the major issues the Congress plans to flag during the session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda, however, maintained that the Nayab Singh Saini government was moving ahead “under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” and would showcase its achievements confidently. “The achievements of the double-engine government under Modi will be highlighted during the session. The Opposition has run out of issues,” Dhanda asserted, adding that the government would respond to every issue “in a befitting manner.”

Official sources said the government would “put its best foot forward” while countering the Opposition and highlight key initiatives. The recently launched Lado Lakshmi scheme for women’s empowerment and the 350th anniversary celebrations of the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur at Kurukshetra — attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — would be prominently mentioned in the session, they added.