In the day-long special session of the Haryana Assembly, State Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and other newly-elected MLAs on Friday were administered oath as members of the State Assembly. Protem Speaker and senior Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian administered oath to all the 90 newly elected MLAs.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is also the Leader of the House, was the first to take the oath as a member of the Vidhan Sabha. Cabinet Ministers Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goyal, Dr Arvind Sharma, Shyam Singh Rana, Ranbir Gangwa, Krishan Kumar Bedi, Shruti Chaudhary and Km Aarti Singh Rao also took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly. Subsequently, the Minister of State, Rajesh Nagar, Gaurav Gautam, and the remaining MLAs including Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Geeta Bhukkal, BB Batra, Vinesh Phogat and others were sworn in as members of the Legislative Assembly.
Speaking as a leader of the House, the Chief Minister assured that democratic values would be upheld with complete sincerity for the smooth conduct of proceedings. He appealed to members from all political parties to cooperate with one another to ensure the efficient functioning of the House. The contribution of each member is crucial in maintaining the dignity of the House, he added.
Saini also highlighted that of the 90 members in the 15th Vidhan Sabha, 40 have been elected for the first time. The new members will have much to learn from the experience of senior members, while the seasoned members will, in turn, draw inspiration from the energy and enthusiasm of the newcomers. He emphasized the importance of providing first-time MLAs with ample opportunities to speak and contribute meaningfully to discussions. Reflecting on gender representation, the Chief Minister said, “In the 14th Vidhan Sabha, nine women were elected, likened to Navratnas. It is a matter of pride that this number has now increased by one and a half times, with 13 women members in the current Assembly.
High drama over ‘acting’ Speaker or Pro-tem Speaker during session
The newly elected Haryana assembly began with unexpected drama when Congress members objected to Raghuvir Singh Kadian being addressed as acting instead of pro-tem Speaker. Senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Batra voiced his disapproval of addressing Kadian, 80, the senior most member of the House and seven-time party MLA, as acting Speaker. Instead, Batra said, Kadian should be called a Pro-tem Speaker. He argued that the term pro-tem holds constitutional significance, emphasising its temporary and specific role until the Speaker of the assembly is elected. “Addressing him (Kadian) as acting Speaker is not only erroneous but also an insult to the legislature,” Batra said. He was backed by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who said the term acting Speaker reflected a lack of attention to procedural accuracy. “Referring to you as acting Speaker instead of pro-tem Speaker is an insult to the Chair,” Hooda said, demanding the clerical error be rectified. In response, CM Saini Saini said that the term acting Speaker had been used both in the 2005 and 2009 inaugural sessions. Aiming to defuse the issue, Saini indicated that the choice of words was neither unprecedented nor incorrect by past standards. “If the illegality was committed once it does not mean that it should be continued,” Batra replied.
On the other hand, Hooda argued that if incorrect terminology was used in 2009 it should have been pointed out then. Kadian also endorsed the contentions of Batra and Hooda. “The term pro-tem means the Speaker for the day while acting Speaker means something else,” he said. Despite Saini’s defense, the session continued amid arguments as Congress members maintained that adhering to accurate terms is critical for the assembly’s dignity. Finally, Saini said that correction will be carried out in the records. Kadian, who is a former Speaker, said: “The sense of the House is approved.”
