The no-confidence motion against the Haryana Cabinet, brought by the main opposition Congress, was defeated by a voice vote 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 said the motion had been defeated.

Earlier, Speaker Gupta had admitted the notice of no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers headed by Chief Minister Khattar.

Speaking in the House during the third day of the Budget session, the Chief Minister said that the Congress had previously brought no-confidence motion in 2021 as well. At that time, there were about 3 and a half years were left in the government’s tenure, and Congress dreamt that if the government falls, they would come to power. But the Congress members again failed to seriously discuss any issue on no-confidence motion and purposely walked out from the House.

Khattar said that the Opposition must bring no-confidence motion before the assembly election, so that Congress MLAs could once again pay attention to the development works done by the present state government, otherwise, Congress is habitual of leaving the House after expressing their views. He said that the Congress has a culture of showing distrust to everything. Whenever anything happens in the national interest, Congress never shows any confidence.

Referring to government recruitments, the Chief Minister said that during Congress's tenure, from 2005 to 2014, the Haryana Public Service Commission made recruitments for 3593 positions, the average of which is 360 vacancies annually. Whereas, during the present government's tenure until January 31, 2024, recruitment on 6808 posts was done, the average of which comes around 680 recruitment per year.

Khattar further explained that during Congress's 10-year tenure, 88,000 jobs were given through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, while the present state government have provided merit based jobs to 1.30 lakh youths. The results for nearly 30,000 positions are about to be declared.

The Chief Minister said that Congress has never been concerned about the welfare of the poor; they have only given slogans of ‘Gareebi Hatao’. He said that during the Emergency, when oppression occurred, a movement arose in the country, and in 1977, people understood the power of their votes. With the strength of their votes, the people rejected the Congress government.

He said that the Congress never believed that old-age pensions could be made online. Through the PPP data, automated pensions have been created for 1.25 lakh people who have completed the age of 60, all from the comfort of their homes.

While targeting the Congress, the Chief Minister said that during Congress rule, there was BBC (Badli Bharti aur CLU) industry in the state. Congress never thought that transfers could be done online. The introduction of online transfers has brought satisfaction to people today. Improving the system is the government's responsibility, and we have made improvements in the system, said the Chief Minister.

Opposition targets BJP-JJP Govt on unemployment, scams, farmers’ agitation on Punjab-Haryana borders

Speaking in the House after the motion was taken up for discussion, Congress legislator 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.

Slapping UAPA on MLA should be reconsidered: Congress

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.