Day 3 marred by uproar as Cong protests with rattles & placards, govt hits back

Congress MLAs, led by Hooda, today marched to the Vidhan Sabha, leading a protest against the BJP government. The Congress MLAs gheraod the Assembly after holding the protest march from Punjab and Haryana High Court roundabout to the Assembly’s main entrance. During the protest, Congress MLAs held placards with various issues in one hand and rattles in the other, raising slogans. Through this symbolic protest, the Congress party sent a clear message that the people of Haryana are grappling with numerous serious problems, while the BJP government was busy making false promises and empty promises.

“Corruption in MNREGA and the problems of laborer; Paddy procurement scam; Poor condition of sports stadiums and neglect of athletes; Irregularities in the HPSC; Misuse of the education system; flaws in the Lado Laxmi Yojana; Irregularities in BPL ration cards; Neglect of farmers and their problems; irregularities highlighted in the CAG report, Unemployment and job crisis; Allegations of providing jobs to outsiders; The drug problem and the rise in organized crime; The plight of Haryana’s youth stranded abroad; The failure of the Ayushman and Chirayu schemes; and flaws in the toll collection across State’s highways” – were among the prominent issues that the Congress legislators raised in their protest.

Congress MLAs demanded immediate action from the government on all these issues and warned that if the public’s problems are not addressed, the agitation will intensify. Hooda said “as a responsible opposition, Congress will raise public issues on every platform, from the streets to the House. The more the BJP shirks its responsibility, the more vigorously Congress will advocate for the public. Ultimately, the government will have to be held accountable”.

“This government is neither able to provide MSP and compensation to farmers, nor is it providing employment to youth, nor is it able to provide quality education to students, nor is it providing security to the public. The way crimes and scams are taking place in the state, it seems as if there is no such thing as a government here. The state has been left to scamsters and gangsters”, Hooda alleged while speaking to the media persons.

Regarding the pension cuts to the elderly, Hooda said, “Now the government is claiming to restore 70,000 pensions. Whereas the government previously claimed it hadn’t cut anyone’s pension. If not, why are they being restored? Along with pensions, ration cards issued before the elections are now being cancelled, which is vote theft in itself. Nearly 1.4 million ration cards have been cancelled in Haryana since the elections. In Ambala alone, 54,000 ration cards have been cancelled”. Inside the House, Speaker Harvinder Kalyan reprimanded Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed from Nuh for using his phone in the House. The Speaker said, “This is wrong. Even yesterday some members were using phones in the House. This is not appropriate.”

At the beginning of Tuesday’s proceedings, Congress MLA Shishpal Kehrawala from Kalanwali questioned the government on how many people’s old-age pensions were stopped in the name of verification. Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi replied that “78,000 pensions were discontinued due to death cases. More than 5,000 pensions were stopped after beneficiaries were found ineligible.

Many widows have now been converted to the old-age pension category”.

Bedi added that “that proper verification must be ensured”. After this, CM Nayab Saini apprised the House that “the opposition had committed a “sin” by spreading rumors among the elderly”.
Vinesh challenges minister: Cross the pond

Congress MLA from Julana and former Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat had an argument with Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam regarding a swimming pool in village Ramray. Vinesh asked whether two acres of land had been donated for the swimming pool and whether any proposal for its construction was under consideration. If not, what were the reasons?

Minister Gaurav Gautam replied that there is no proposal to construct the pool, as it is not practical. Vinesh countered, asking why it was not practical. She said 250–300 children practice there daily and are forced to train in a pond, causing allergies. She challenged the minister to come with her and swim across the pond once. “If the minister does not have to be admitted to the hospital after that, I will withdraw my claim,” she said.
I have files on scams: Saini

The issue of the IDFC First Bank scam again came up in the House, today. CM Nayab Singh Saini informed the House that the entire amount had been deposited into the government’s accounts — ₹556 crore as principal and ₹22 crore as interest. Saini added that the recovery was made within 24 hours.

According to him, the scam was carried out by lower/ middle–level employees of IDFC First Bank’s Chandigarh branch in collusion with certain officials/ private entities – the matter is currently being probed by the Anti Corruption Bureau and the FIR has already been registered.

During this, the CM also targeted the Congress, saying that his government keeps account of every single penny, whereas in previous governments scam files were suppressed. “I have many files,” Saini said. Congress MLAs created an uproar over this statement.