The Manohar lal Khattar-led BJP Government in Haryana was severely criticised on Tuesday by the Opposition for failing to maintain law and order situation during Jat quota stir and resolving the long-pending Satluj Yamuna link (SYl) canal issue.
Speaking during the Motion of Thanks on Governor’s address in the state assembly, leader of opposition and INlD senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala made a scathing attack against the BJP Government saying that the ruling party has miserably failed to tackle the aggravated situation during the Jat agitation while its leaders continued to make controversial statements to incite the protest and disturb the peace in Haryana.
From issues ranging from Jat agitation to SYl canal, Chautala alleged that Haryana Government has failed to act efficiently and seriously on such matters.
Raking up the issue of Jat reservation, he said that the Government had been giving assurances since 2014 to give reservation to Jat community but did nothing in this regard. The agitations to demand reservation for Jats were held since 1990 and 3 people had died from 1990 to 2016 in such agitations. But 30 people died during last month and the State suffered loss of thousands of crores of rupees due to Government’s failure to contain violence during agitation.
The Government could not even saved the house of state Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu and it was burnt down by the rioters which shows the inability of BJP Government to handle the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana, he added.
Referring to various statements given by BJP Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini on Jat community, Chautala hit out at the ruling BJP for not stopping Saini for issuing such controversial remarks and demanded strict action against him.
Chautala also took pot shots at the ruling BJP referring to the statements given by its own MlAs and Ministers accepting failure to handle the Jat stir that turned violent in several districts of Haryana.
Taking strong exception to the remarks of leader of opposition, the Chief Minister intervened saying that the discussion should focus on Governor’s address only and not on Jat reservation agitation as the House will take up this issue on March 21.
On the other hand, the BJP legislators demanded that names of people who are not present in the house should not be mentioned.
Following this, heated exchanges of words were witnessed between the treasury benches and INlD legislators who were backed by independent MlA Jai Parkash.
Blaming BJP and Congress for inciting the Jat protestors, Chautala also demanded an inquiry by sitting SC judge into the violence during the agitation.
Mentioning the names of Prof Virender, former political advisor to ex-Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and BJP leader Roshan lal Arya, he demanded action against them for conspiring to disturb the peace and harmony in the State.
Faced with the embarrassment of its own leaders criticising the Government’s failure to deal with Jat agitation, the State Government was forced to firefight with Cabinet Ministers and other MlAs blaming the Congress and INlD for Jat agitation.
But there was soon more trouble and embarrassment for the BJP with its MlA Randhir Singh Kapriwas saying that the state was burning during the Jat stir and we (Government) could not do anything.
Opposition had conspired against the Government during the agitation as they wanted the State Government to be dismissed, he added.
As the pandemonium continued, the Chief Minister intervened again saying, “This is an issue of law and order situation. The members should focus on Governor’s address.”
Meanwhile, the leader of Opposition also flayed the ruling BJP over its failure to resolve the SYl issue. Stating that BJP has a Government at the Centre and in Haryana and is in alliance with SAD in Punjab, he asked the BJP Government to clear its stand on the issue.