Saini tears into Hooda, Congress MLAs over no-confidence motion

Soon after the Question Hour got over, Saini stood and said, “Yesterday (Thursday), Bhupinder Singh Hooda ji was welcomed as the Leader of the Opposition. But, it is also a fact that Hooda ji was appointed as the LoP by his party after a gap of one year. At the end of his [Hooda’s] address, he also expressed his expectation that we would not suppress the voice of the Opposition. We immediately agreed to this. This emotional exchange conveyed a very positive message to the people of Haryana about the constructive future of this august House. However, unfortunately, not even two hours had passed when the Opposition brought a no-confidence motion. Upon closely examining the signatures on this motion, it was found that Bhupinder Singh Hooda ji’s signature was not among them,” Saini said.

Taking a dig at Hooda, Saini said, “Either the Leader of the Opposition was unaware of this no-confidence motion, or despite being aware, he allowed it to be brought forward.”

“Honourable Speaker Sir, accepted the no-confidence motion. The government is fully prepared for discussion on the no-confidence motion,” Saini added.

The Opposition members strongly objected to points raised by Saini, insisting the LoP’s signatures were not actually required for moving the no-confidence motion.

The Congress’s no-confidence motion mentioned that “due to the government’s narrow tunnel vision, the state is rapidly and relentlessly hurtling towards a dark, hellish abyss of crime, drug abuse, unemployment, illiteracy, inequality and environmental degradation. The government has lost the trust of every section of the state’s population.”

However, responding to the Opposition’s no-confidence motion, Saini said, “The government is fully prepared to answer every question and engage in discussion in the Assembly. The BJP government remains accountable to the people and prepared to address any issue raised by the Opposition during the session.”

In its motion, the Congress legislators also alleged, “The government has completely failed due to its anti-people policies and weak management. Through its various systems, this government has transformed ‘Loktantra into a Tantralok’”.

Citing Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, the motion accused the BJP of “seizing power through unconstitutional means and by stealing votes through bribery and manipulation,” claiming the government was “not based on the people’s mandate”.

Countering the Opposition’s accusations earlier during the Question Hour, Saini stated, “The Opposition has been left unsettled after being decisively rejected by the people. Having lost public confidence and political credibility, Opposition leaders are now resorting to allegations like vote theft out of sheer frustration.”

The chief minister asserted that “the mandate of the people is clear and decisive, and it reflects total rejection of the Congress’s policies and past governance. “This rejection,” he said, “has left the Opposition frustrated, prompting them to make irresponsible and unfounded statements”.

The discussion over the no-confidence motion was underway till filing of this report.