‘Rules of Procedure being destroyed’: Haryana Dy CM takes on Deputy Speaker over flood damages discussion

Dushyant raised the objection in the House before a discussion could begin on the calling attention notice on the issue of damage incurred by farmers during the recent floods and waterlogging in several districts.

The monsoon session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha began on Friday.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gain Chand Gupta during a session in Chandigarh. (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Dushyant, who also holds the portfolio of disaster management, kept insisting and even read out the Rules of Procedure on floor of the House even as Gangwa assured that “such a thing will not be repeated in the future”, but “the House should proceed today by holding the discussion on (the issue), because it has already been tabled”. The Deputy Speaker also cited “previous conventions” where such short duration discussions were converted into calling attention notices, but Dushyant kept reiterating that it was against the norms and rules of business and “even if certain conventions were followed in the past that were contrary to the Rules of Procedure, at least we should not be doing it”.

To hammer home his point, the Deputy Speaker cited several incidents during the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda when such short duration discussions were converted into calling attention notices in 2011 and 2012, to which Dushyant replied: “Why should we be repeating the errors that our predecessors have committed? What kind of examples are we setting for our future generations by destroying all rules and procedures?”

Dushyant read out Rule 73 (B) (1) of the Rules of Procedure, which states: “If the Speaker is satisfied, after calling for such information from the member who has given notice and from the minister as he may consider necessary, that the matter is urgent and is of sufficient importance to be raised in the House at an early date, he may admit the notice; provided that if an early opportunity is otherwise available for the discussion of the matter, the Speaker may refuse to admit the notice”.

The senior JJP leader added that in the current case, “neither the member was asked by the Speaker, nor I, who is the Minister, was asked about it; this is completely against the rules”.
The Deputy Speaker insisted that the “members (MLAs who had given the notice for discussion) were not against converting it into the calling attention notice”. To this, Dushyant replied that even he was not against replying to the notice, but emphasised that it was against the rules.

Dushyant cited another Rule in which he pointed out that only five members can be allowed to ask questions on the calling attention notice, while the Deputy Speaker had listed 23 members who would be asking questions on the issue. However, the Deputy Speaker ruled out this objection and assured the Deputy CM that from next time, only five members will be allowed to ask questions on one notice “but since today the calling attention notice was already tabled in the House,” the minister should let the discussion take place. Eventually, Dushyant had to reply to all those who asked questions on the issue.

While the exchange of words was taking place between Dushyant and Gangwa, Congress legislator Geeta Bhukkal also pointed out that the Rules Committee meeting of the Vidhan Sabha has not held even a single meeting till date. Replying to Bhukkal, Gangwa assured that a meeting will be convened soon.

On the issue of Dushyant raising strong objections and levelling scathing accusation on floor of the House, Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said, “The House functions according to the rules and conventions. In the previous years also, during the tenure of Chaudhary Bhupinder Singh Hooda, short duration questions were converted into calling attention notices.”