Congress walks out over ‘vote theft’ claims

Chandigarh: The Haryana assembly descended into chaos on Tuesday as a bitter row over alleged misconduct during Rajya Sabha elections triggered multiple adjournments and a mass walkout by the opposition.The 12th budget session was derailed by a "heavy exchange of words" between Congress and BJP lawmakers, with the opposition accusing the ruling party of deploying "money and muscle power" to influence recent voting outcomes.Zero Hour flashpointThe confrontation began early in the sitting when Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal attempted to raise the issue of cross-voting and invalid ballots. While speaker Harvinder Kalyan initially convinced the opposition to wait, the tension boiled over during Zero Hour.Led by former chief minister and current Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress members demanded a formal discussion on the Rajya Sabha polls. Hooda claimed the "arbitrary" move to declare certain votes invalid and the alleged use of financial inducements had "let down the state of Haryana" .‘Black sheep' and ‘Vote thieves'The debate quickly devolved into personal attacks as Treasury benches pushed back against the allegations. In a counter-attack, govt ministers Krishan Bedi and Gaurav Gautam taunted Hooda, challenging him sarcastically to identify the "nine black sheep" within his own party who allegedly cross-voted. Congress MLAs branded the govt "vote chor" (vote thieves), while BJP members retorted with "chor machaye shor" (the thief makes the most noise).Double adjournments and 'dancing' gesturesThe speaker was forced to halt proceedings twice as the chamber became unmanageable. In the first adjournment, a 15-minute break was called after Congress MLAs stormed the well of the house. In the second adjournment, a lunch break was declared following continued disruptions during a speech by Kalka MLA Shakti Rani Sharma.The friction took a bizarre turn when the house resumed. Hooda accused Minister Krishan Bedi of making "dancing gestures" to mock the opposition, with the former CM reportedly mimicking the movements to the speaker to illustrate his complaint.Final walkoutThe session concluded without a resolution to the dispute. As CM Nayab Singh Saini rose to deliver his reply to the budget discussion, the entire Congress cohort staged a final walkout, maintaining their protest over the Rajya Sabha "wrongs". The speaker has urged both sides to maintain parliamentary decorum, though the deep divide over the election controversy suggests further volatility in the remaining days of the budget session.MSID:: 129633880 413 |