DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

A no-confidence motion brought by the Congress against the BJP-JJP government in Haryana was defeated through voice vote on Thursday after the opposition party's MLAs walked out from the Assembly. At the end of a four-hour-long discussion on the motion, Congress members walked out expressing dissatisfaction with the chief minister's reply. The motion was then defeated through voice vote.

Speaker Gian Chand Gupta announced that the motion had been defeated.

It was the second no-confidence motion brought by the Congress in the second term of the Manohar Lal Khattar government. The first such motion, which was brought by the Congress three years ago amid a stir against now-repealed farm laws, was defeated as well.

At present, the BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member House while its alliance partner, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), has 10. Besides, six of the seven independent members in the House support the BJP, which also enjoys the support of the lone Haryana Lokhit Party MLA, Gopal Kanda.

The main opposition Congress has 30 MLAs and the Indian National Lok Dal has one. Earlier, speaking in the House after the motion was taken up for discussion, Congress members targeted the Khattar government on various issues, including ongoing farmers' agitation on Punjab-Haryana borders.

Congress member Shamsher Singh Gogi raised the protesting farmers' issue.

Gogi said a farmer who died on Wednesday at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border was among the protesting farmers who are seeking a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops. "The border has been made like India-Pakistan border...the government should resolve the issue," said Gogi.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the situation is serious and government should resolve the issue through talks.

The BJP MLAs, who spoke against the motion, said government has undertaken all-round development and Haryana was marching on path of progress.

Congress MLA B B Batra said the BJP talks about establishing "Ram Rajya", but it is a government which has been hit by scams while corruption is rampant in various spheres. Batra alleged that a mining scam in Yamunanagar had even changed the course of Yamuna river.

However, Transport and Mining Minister Mool Chand Sharma countered Batra, saying the government has taken several steps to curb illegal mining. Congress' Batra also talked about Haryana's Anti-Corruption Bureau recently busting a major scam in the integrated cooperative development project, unearthing a Rs 100-crore "corruption racket". He also dubbed the state government's flagship family ID scheme Parivar Pehchan Patra as "unconstitutional".

However, Chief Minister Khattar countered him, saying if the Congress feel so, they can move court. Hooda had recently accused the Khattar government of having failed on all fronts and said the Congress would bring a no-confidence motion during the Budget session.

During the discussion, Congress members also brought up the issue of charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) slapped against party MLA Mamman Khan in Haryana in connection with a Nuh violence case. Hooda said when the MLA had secured bail in a FIR, why UAPA charge had been added six months later. "Don't treat MLAs like this. UAPA is slapped against terrorists," he said.

Hooda and another Congress leader Kiran Choudhary said that slapping UAPA on the MLA should be reconsidered. However, Chief Minister Khattar said the government does not interfere in a issue in which investigation is going on. If a new charge has been added, the government has no role in that, he said.

Congress member Gogi said, "Is UAPA being slapped against Mamman Khan because he belongs to a particular community".

During the discussion, there was a brief verbal exchange between ruling JJP's Ram Kumar Gautam and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala after Gautam made some remarks against him which were expunged by the Chair. Gautam also indulged in a verbal duel with Minister of Development and Panchayats Devender Babli, also from JJP, after the former made some remarks on e-tendering system in panchayats.

The Speaker asked Gautam to stick to the topic and expunged the remarks.

Later, while speaking against the motion, Deputy CM Chautala said Gautam's problem is that he did not make him a minister.

Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary said tall promises were made by the BJP-led government including doubling of farmers' income, but these were not met.

Chautala took a swipe at the Congress members during the discussion and said big leaders have left the party which also includes many tall political leaders in the past from the state as well.

BJP MLA Aseem Goel also said that the Congress was "shrinking" and many leaders were deserting it. Goel said the Khattar government has provided a transparent administration and jobs are being given purely on merit basis. He said Haryana was marching on the path of progress during the past nine-and-a-half years.

Chautala said the state government is undertaking equitable development. "It is result of our alliance that women are enjoying 50 per cent reservation in panchayats". "I hope when the next assembly elections are held in 2029, the assembly will also have 50 per cent women members," he said.
(editor@dailyworld.in)