Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar on Friday revoked the suspension of three Congress MlAs who were suspended for six months for tearing copies of Governor’s Address in the budget session of Vidhan Sabha.
Following obituary reference, Congress MlA Randeep Singh Surjewala raised the issue and urged the Speaker to revoke the suspension of party’s three MlAs.
Congress MlAs including former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, Jaiveer Singh and Jagbir Singh Malik were suspended for six months for tearing the copies of Governor’s Address during budget session held in March. These opposition legislators had torn down the copies while staging a protest near the Well of the House after all the Congress MlAs were suspended for interrupting Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki during his address to the House on the opening day of the budget session.
Pleading for revocation of suspension of the three Congress MlAs, Surjewala said that it would help restore normal working of the House as the opposition also plays an important role in the democracy.
Referring to the majority got by the BJP to form the government in the state, the Congress MlA said that arrogance should not be there ... due to the majority.
INlD legislator Jaswinder Singh Sandhu also urged the Speaker to revoke the
suspension.
The issue triggered off a war of words between BJP and Congress legislatures.
While taking a dig at the Congress, the Cabinet Ministers Capt Abhimanyu and Anil Vij justified the decision of suspension of three MlAs.
Reacting to Surjewala’s statement, Health Minister Vij said, “During Congress rule, we were sent out of the house even without saying anything... I am happy to know that the Congress has now understood the meaning of arrogance, majority and opposition role’s.” On the other hand, Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu welcomed Surjewala for finally attending the House proceedings referring to his absenteeism in previous assembly sessions.
Justifying the suspension, Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar, who is also leader of the House, said that every member of the state Assembly has freedom of expression in democracy but no freedom is absolute or unfettered and is subject to certain rules and traditions which govern the proceedings of the House.
No member should interrupt the Address of the Governor as ample time is given for discussion on the Address in the House. But the Congress MlAs tore copies of the Address which is not only an insult to the House but also to the post of Governor, said he.
Continuing his attack on the Congress, the Chief Minister said that it was for the House to decide if wrong practices are to be carried forward or the convention and rules of the House should be maintained. If the House does not take action against such legislators, others might feel encouraged to indulge in similar act, said he.
Manohar lal also asked the Congress to accept that it was wrong to tear the copies of Governor’s address.
We are not asking you to apologize... but atleast you should accept that it was wrong to tear the copies, he told the Congress legislators.
Former Chief Minister and Congress MlA Bhupinder Singh Hooda then intervened saying I have been forced to speak on the issue... The decision on the issue was taken in Speaker’s Chamber even then the issue is being discussed like this...
Accepting that it was wrong to tear the copies of Governor’s address, Hooda urged the Speaker to allow the three Congress MlAs to attend the House proceedings.
The Speaker then revoked the suspension of three MlAs and they were allowed to attend House proceedings from Friday itself.