Twitter
Advertisement

Uproar in Haryana assembly over Robert Vadra land deal, RSS agenda

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Haryana assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproarious scenes following the Governor's address with the Chief Minister asserting that all "wrongdoings" of the Hooda regime would be probed and the Congress accusing the BJP government in the state of pursuing "RSS agenda".

In the midst of the din, Leader of Opposition and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala demanded a probe into the Robert Vadra land deals by a sitting judge. Meanwhile, the newly elected speaker, Kanwarpal Gujjar, created a flutter by saying that he is a "Swayamsewak" and described RSS as a "social organisation". In his nearly 90-minute reply on the Governor's address, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stressed that corruption remained a core issue for the new government and said, without specifically referring to the Vadra land deal, his government would look into various "wrongdoings" of the previous regime.

Intervening in the matter,former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda told the House,"I have said this earlier and today also I am saying whatever we did was within policy. Let there be any free and fair inquiry. I will welcome." Refuting allegations of extending favour to anyone in land deals, Hooda said, "I am saying on the floor of the House, during my time, the government did not get single inch of land acquired for any builder."

Leader of Opposition Chautala alleged that rules had been given a go by and laid down procedures were not followed by the erstwhile Congress regime to benefit the firm of Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He alleged that the Congress government provided undue benefits to a real estate company "as Vadra was involved" in it.

The House also witnessed sharp exchange between Congress and BJP MLAs after Congress MLA and former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma claimed that the Governor has been "forced" to read out the "RSS agenda". BJP MLAs promptly refuted him. Addressing his predecessor, Speaker Gujjar said, "...I am sitting on the Speaker's chair and I am proud of the fact that I am a 'Swayamsewak'", to thumping of benches by BJP MLAs. Hitting back at the former Speaker, the Chief Minister said that his (CM's) association with RSS goes back to 1980 when he joined the organisation as a 'Pracharak'. Khattar said there is no such agenda as "RSS agenda". 

The Chief Minister said that he would always keep the people's interests above any personal interest.  As the 13th assembly met on the second day of the first session today, the Khattar government promised to issue a 'White Paper' on the state's fiscal health as it spelled out its priorities to take the state forward. After Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki delivered his address to the House, BJP's Hisar MLA Kamal Gupta initiated discussion on the address which was seconded by Kalka MLA Latika Sharma.

Speaking on the Governor's address, Chautala also raised several alleged scams during the previous regime including the cash-for-CLU scam allegedly involving some Congress leaders. Former chief minister Hooda hit back at the INLD leader, saying "those who are charge-sheeted and have been punished for corruption are raising such issues now (referring to some INLD leader having been jailed including O P Chautala).

On the state's financial management, Chief Minister Khattar said the state is under a whopping Rs 82,000-crore debt, and added "we should not rake up figures and rather find out solution to the problem".
"As the Government has changed, people will raise questions on the state's fiscal health. The people have a right to know, we will issue a 'White Paper' and things will become clear. Before the next Budget session of the assembly, we will bring a 'White Paper'," Khattar said.

On the power front, he expressed concern saying that recovery of bills was mere 30-32 per cent, while 65 per cent was not being recovered. "We need to find out what is going on," he said. He said only 1,500MW of power was being generated in the state, whereas to meet the growing demand of power the state has to depend on other sources. Khattar, while touching upon the BJP's poll promise of giving Rs 2,000 old age pension, said the government was committed to implement this.
However, Congress members including Kuldeep Sharma, Anand Singh Dangi, Raghubir Singh Kadia, Kiran Chowdhry and Geeta Bhukkal wanted the Chief Minister to give a definite time frame for starting this and staged a brief walkout after the CM refused to give exact date for its implementation.

There was sharp exchange between Congress and BJP MLAs on the issue of old age pension and other welfare schemes started by the previous Hooda government, with Congress MLAs claiming that the Khattar regime was planning to discontinue many of these including scholarship given to Scheduled Caste students. Hooda was not present in the House when his party colleagues staged a symbolic walkout. When they returned to their seats, the Congress members continued to interrupt the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister made it clear that Rs 1,500 old age pension being given to the beneficiaries since the time of previous government would continue. He told the Assembly that at many places including in his constituency of Karnal district many beneficiaries had been found drawing old age pension illegally. He said the government would link old age pension with bank accounts of beneficiaries to bring more transparency. The CM expressed concern over adverse sex ratio in the state and said his government is committed to end the malaise.

Khattar took a dig at Hooda writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortly before the assembly polls in which he drew his attention to "heavy losses" being suffered by farmers in the state due to the "sudden drop" in the purchase price of rice, saying facts which later emerged in the media in the wake of Hooda's letter talked about Centre imposing rice export ban, which had adversely hit the farmers. The issue also saw treasury benches indulge in verbal duel with Congress members leading to pandemonium in the House for a while.

He said the opposition and the general public would be involved in decision making process of the Government. This, he said, would be without drawing party lines. He said the government will strive to end any sort of discrimination, whether that may be on regional or caste basis. With BJP members including Health Minister Anil Vij indulging in verbal duel with Congress member Kuldeep Sharma, who alleged that the Chief Minister rushes to Delhi for petty things to "seek directions" from the party high command, Khattar said that BJP, like the Congress, was a national party and there was nothing wrong in seeking consultation from the party's senior members. Meanwhile, the day's proceedings saw BJP getting support on some issues including corruption from the main opposition INLD leaving Congress alone to battle it out.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement