The Opposition—Indian National lok Dal and Congress—on Thursday unleashed a virulent attack on Chief Minister Manohar lal for meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal issue last month without taking the Opposition leaders along.
Following the customary obituary references during the one-day special session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, leader of opposition and INlD's senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala sought a reply from the Chief Minister on his meeting with the Prime Minister on April 22.
launching a scathing attack on Manohar lal, Chautala said, “During an all-party meeting held last year, it was decided to meet President and Prime Minister on the SYl issue. While an all party delegation met President last year, the Chief Minister went alone to meet the Prime Minister in April. The Chief Minister should have taken an all party delegation along with him for a meeting with the PM.”
“Why did he (CM) meet the PM alone and what discussion was held during the meetingIJ The CM should give a statement in the House on this,” demanded the leader of Opposition.
The Congress sailed with the INlD as former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also demanded a statement from Manohar lal on the issue.
Hooda said, “A decision was taken during an all party meeting last year to take up the SYl issue with the PM. An all party delegation was supposed to meet the PM on the SYl issue but the CM went alone for a meeting. The entire State wants to know whether any discussion was held on the SYl issue during CM’s meeting with Narendra Modi or not.”
Soon after, INlD and Congress legislators stood up and demanded that the Chief Minister should immediately give a statement on his meeting with the PM.
Continuing his tirade against the Manohar lal Khattar Government, Abhay Chautala said that the State Government is not at all serious about the completion of SYl canal and did nothing after the Supreme Court’s verdict in Haryana’s favor on SYl issue last year.
Earlier, the Chief Minister did not arrange a meeting with the PM on the SYl issue and later, he went to meet the PM without taking opposition leaders along, he added.
As the INlD and Congress legislators remained adamant, demanding a statement from the Chief Minister, Speaker Kanwar Pal intervened, saying that the House has been convened for passing the GST Bill and would not take up any other issues.
Reacting to this, leader of opposition went onto say that GST Bill and other Bills are not an issue for us but SYl canal is more important.
While Chautala kept pleading with the Speaker to ask the Chief Minister to give a statement on the issue, the Congress legislators staged a brief walkout from the House protesting against the State Government.
To pacify the situation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma then assured the House that the Chief Minister will give his reply at the end of the session on the SYl issue.
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister for maintaining silence on the entire controversy, Bhupinder Singh Hooda told him, “SYl is an important issue. Moni Baba mat bano, jawab do.”
later, while giving a statement on his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister clarified that he did not meet the PM with a separate motive and raised a number of issues with him including the SYl canal.
Manohar lal said that few days back, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had met the PM and discussed the SYl canal issue. Following this, there was a need for us to put forth our stand on the SYl issue with the PM, said he.
Elaborating on his meeting, the Chief Minister said that there was a meeting of Planning Commission in Delhi and I got permission to meet the PM a day before that. During the meeting with PM, I submitted a memorandum on SYl canal issue with him, he said.
I also raised the demands of setting up a separate High Court for Haryana and an Airport at Hisar, he added.
Taking a jibe at the opposition, Manohar lal, concluded his statement with a couplet, “Jab hum sabne thane hai ki lana apna paani hai, toh shak, samiksha, yeh sab baatein, bemani hai”.
Unhappy with his statement, Abhay Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda asked him to let the entire House know whether the Prime Minister gave any assurance on the SYl issue.
Replying to this, the Chief Minister said that I submitted a memorandum on the SYl issue to the PM and we will make the memorandum public.
Resolution on separate High Court for Haryana passed
Chandigarh: Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to request the Parliament to effect an appropriate amendment in the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 to provide for the creation of a separate High Court for Haryana within the capital city Chandigarh.
The resolution was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, during the one day special session of the Vidhan Sabha.
According to the resolution, while Haryana has completed 50 years of its existence as a separate State, a separate High Court has still not been provided for the State.
During this period, the people of Haryana have suffered in manifold ways, including through delays in the disposal of their cases due to heavy workload in the common High Court.
Presently, there are only 18 Judges from Haryana against a total sanctioned strength of 85. There are 13 Judges from Haryana under direct quota drawn from Advocates of the High Court, against a sanctioned strength of 23, leading to under-representation of the Advocates from Haryana, stated the resolution.
It further stated, “The Haryana Vidhan Sabha had adopted resolutions recommending the bifurcation of Punjab and Haryana High Court and setting up of a separate High Court for Haryana on March 14, 2002 and December 15, 2005.”
It said, “On April 22, 2017, Chief Minister Manohar lal had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to accord top priority to setting up of a separate High Court for Haryana during the ongoing Swaran Jayanti Year of the State.”
Chief Minister Manohar also apprized the House that he has taken up the issue of separate High Court for Haryana with the Prime Minister, Union law Minister and Chief Justice of India.
While speaking on the issue of setting up a separate High Court, Congress MlA Karan Dalal suggested that the State should also discuss about new capital now.
Chandigarh is a joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Following this, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that we support the resolution however, Congress does not agree with the suggestion of Congress MlA Karan Dalal. Chandigarh should remain the capital of Haryana, he added.