The Haryana assembly on Monday launched breach-of-privilege proceedings against two Congress MLAs, escalating the tussle between the ruling BJP and the Opposition that began last week during the high-voltage opening sitting of the monsoon session.
Cabinet minister Ranbir Gangwa moved the privilege motion against Jassi Petwar for allegedly making “defamatory allegations” against speaker Harvinder Kalyan on social media, while BJP MLA Laxman Singh Yadav moved a separate motion against Induraj Singh Narwal for snatching and throwing away a poster that suspended Congress MLA Jarnail Singh had displayed in the House last Thursday to embarrass the Congress and certain of its leaders over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The ruling BJP’s move to initiate breach-of-privilege proceedings came as it was emerging that both sides were ready for a truce over the ruckus that took place last Thursday. Hooda also objected to a word that chief minister Nayab Singh Saini had allegedly used during the verbal duel last week. The blame game erupted again, with cabinet minister Krishan Kumar Bedi accusing the Congress of challenging the authority of the Chair and saying Congress members had raised slogans against the speaker. The motion was adopted and also referred to the Privileges Committee, even as Congress legislators protested and objected.
The twin privilege proceedings were the fallout of the first sitting of the three-day monsoon session on August 27, which was dominated by a confrontation between the Congress and the government over the alleged ill-treatment of Congress MLAs by security personnel at the Assembly entrance.
Congress MLA Petwar had made defamatory allegations against the speaker on social media by accusing the chair of being biased and prejudiced, according to Gangwa. At the beginning of Monday’s sitting, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda again raised the issue of the “ill-treatment” meted out to Congress legislators by security personnel. The speaker gave his ruling on the contentious word and said that the word “utpaat” should be used in the proceedings in place of the word that had been expunged. He also said Congress MLA Balram Dangi had first used the objectionable word. In his motion, BJP MLA Laxman Yadav said the conduct of Congress MLA Narwal was “disrespectful and indecent”.
