Congress walks out after Saini denies ‘detentions’

Chandigarh: The alleged detention of Congress office-bearers and functionaries in Haryana and Chandigarh dominated the proceedings during the fourth day of Haryana legislative assembly's budget session on Wednesday, with the opposition party's MLAs staging a walkout.During the zero hour, Congress MLAs circulated photographs of party office-bearers and functionaries allegedly being put under house arrest. When leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda sought a clarification about the detentions, CM Nayab Singh Saini defended the state govt and denied any such action by police.
Saini claimed that the state govt was committed to engaging in democratic dialogue and never shied away from a discussion. However, he claimed that the opposition continued to mislead the public through what he described as a series of "unfounded and politically motivated allegations".Saini said police had neither detained nor restricted any individual. He added even pictures presented in the House did not substantiate the charge.As arguments continued, Hooda and other Congress MLAs team walked out in protest. Hooda also interacted with chief secretary Anurag Rastogi and CM Saini while leaving.Soon after leaving the assembly, the CM said the opposition increasingly relied on sensational claims rather than substantive issues. He cited previous allegations of EVM tampering and vote theft, which, he said, lacked factual backing. The recent "house arrest" claim, he added, appeared to be yet another attempt to create confusion among public.Cong functionaries court arrest After leaving the assembly, Congress MLAs joined protesting party functionaries and workers at the Haryana Congress headquarters in Sector 9, Chandigarh. Heavy police force was deployed to foil any attempt by the agitating Congress functionaries and workers to reach the assembly. The protest was being staged as part of Congress's ‘MNREGA Bachao Sangram Abhiyan'. AICC general secretary B K Hariparsad, who was accompanied by co-incharge Jitender Baghel and Lok Sabha MPs Jai Parkash, Varun Chaudhary, Deepender Hooda and Satpal Brahamchari, HPCC president Rao Narender Singh, and MLAs, started the march from the Congress office and were stopped at some distance. The protesters then courted arrested and were released later.