Chandigarh, February 24 The Haryana Congress on Tuesday staged a protest march to the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) here, targeting the BJP government in the state on several issues, including law and order, unemployment, and the plight of farmers.
The protesting Congress MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda, carried placards highlighting the various issues. Some were seen holding small toys (jhunjhunas) and claiming this was "to wake up the government from its slumber."
Haryana Congress chief Rao Narender Singh demanded a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the IDFC First Bank matter.
On Sunday, IDFC First Bank reported a fraud of Rs 590 crore committed by its employees and others in accounts held by the Haryana government with the private lender.
"While the state government has said the Anti-Corruption Bureau will investigate the matter, we demand a CBI probe," Singh said.
Hooda claimed that while the state government has asked its departments and public sector enterprises to conduct an internal audit of their bank accounts and fixed deposits, it should have detected the fraud long ago.
Hooda also alleged that the law and order situation in Haryana has deteriorated under the BJP, with criminals roaming freely and people feeling unsafe.
"The Congress has come out on the streets to raise the pressing issues concerning the state, and to wake up the government from its slumber," Hooda said.
"There are so many issues – law and order, corruption, drugs, unemployment, candidates from outside securing government jobs, the paddy scam, farmers' issues, cuts in old-age pensions, etc.," Hooda said.
The Congress MLAs gathered near a roundabout and walked for nearly 1 km to reach the Vidhan Sabha building gate, where they sat for several minutes.
Meanwhile, raising the issue of the Congress's protest in the Assembly, BJP MLA Ghanshyam Arora said in the morning that the MLAs could not freely enter the Assembly premises because the opposition legislators were sitting and protesting near the gate.
Not just MLAs, but even the Chief Minister had to enter through the gate from the Punjab side to enter the Haryana Vidhan Sabha building complex, Arora said, and asked if holding a dharna (protest) at the Vidhan Sabha gate is allowed.
Speaker Harvinder Kalyan said that while holding a peaceful protest is everyone's right, it should not violate the rules.
"If a protest is to be held, it should not be brought to the gate of the Vidhan Sabha complex building," he said.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said in the House that while democracy guarantees every individual the right to protest and express views against the government, the opposition's decision to stage a demonstration at the main entrance of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha was not appropriate.
LoP Hooda, however, said that his party MLAs did not indulge in any such act which violated decorum.
The Speaker, nevertheless, said even a gathering of five or more people near the Vidhan Sabha gate to hold a protest is against the rules. In future, such a thing should not be repeated, he told the legislators.
Amid this, Congress member Geeta Bhukkal also spoke on the issue and made some remarks, to which the Speaker told her, "I am the custodian of the House, and you don't have to teach me," while expunging Bhukkal's remarks.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, CM Saini remarked that if the opposition members required space to put forth their views, a site has already been designated in Sector-25, Chandigarh, for protests. They may go there and stage a peaceful demonstration, he said, adding that there would be no restriction.
