Chandigarh: A no-confidence motion brought by the Congress against the BJP-JJP government in Haryana was defeated through voice vote on Thursday after the opposition party's MLAs walked out of the Assembly.
At the end of a four-hour-long discussion on the motion, Congress members left the House expressing dissatisfaction with the chief minister's reply.
Speaker Gian Chand Gupta announced that the motion had been defeated through voice vote.
On Congress's walkout, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala suggested a resolution be brought against the Congress members, alleging they waste precious time of the House.
Lone Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Singh Chautala was also not present as he had left the House much before the Congress staged a walkout.
It was the second no-confidence motion brought by the Congress in the second term of the Manohar Lal Khattar government. The first such motion, which was brought by the Congress three years ago amid a stir against now-repealed farm laws, was defeated as well.
At present, the BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member House while its alliance partner, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), has 10, and the ruling combine also enjoys support of six of seven independents.
The main opposition Congress has 30 MLAs and the INLD has one while one seat is of Haryana Lokhit Party.
Later, speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the government seemed to be avoiding questions raised by the opposition during the no-confidence motion, instead of answering them.
"It is extremely shameful that instead of speaking on the manifesto promises, scams, unemployment, crime, drugs, inflation and farmers' issues, the government resorted to personal comments. Therefore Congress walked out of the House," Hooda said.
Earlier, speaking in the House after the motion was taken up for discussion, Congress members targeted the Khattar government on various issues, including ongoing farmers' agitation on Punjab-Haryana borders.
Chief Minister Khattar, who is also Leader of the House, said, "When they had brought no-confidence in 2021, I had said they should bring the motion every six months. I had said this with a reason that at least they will have to listen to us."
"Mehfil mein chal rahi thi mere katl ki tayari, kehte kehte bole lambi umar tumhari...," said Khattar in a poetic tone while taking a dig at the Congress.
The Congress MLAs knew fate of their motion and had already said it was a number game, the CM said, adding in Congress' culture there is no tradition of trust.
"Whenever any reform was talked about in the national interest, the Congress never believed it," he said.
Khattar also said everyone knows about alleged scams during the Congress-led UPA regime. Land scams also took place during the previous Hooda government in the state, he said.
"During Congress's time, badli (transfers), bharti (recruitment) and CLU (change of land use) industry flourished," alleged the CM.
He said under the present dispensation systemic changes have been brought and transparency has been ensured in every sphere of administration.
To assert claims of giving government jobs on merit, Khattar cited an example of recruitment of daughter of senior Congress member Geeta Bhukkal as an assistant professor.
However, Bhukkal said the government had not done any favour on her daughter who had secured job on her merit.
Why are you taking it personal, Khattar told her.
Earlier, Congress member 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.
Hooda said the situation is serious and government should resolve the issue through talks.
The BJP MLAs said the government has undertaken all-round development and Haryana was marching on path of progress.
Congress MLA B B Batra said the BJP talks about establishing 'Ram Rajya', but it is a government which has been hit by scams while corruption is rampant in various spheres.
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.
However, Khattar said the government does not interfere in a issue in which investigation is going on.
Congress member Gogi said, "Is UAPA being slapped against Mamman Khan because he belongs to a particular community."
INLD's Abhay Chautala also said, "Why are you targeting Muslims. Why has UAPA not being slapped in the Gurugram case where an Imam had died in aftermath of (Nuh) violence."
During the discussion, there was a brief verbal exchange between ruling JJP's Ram Kumar Gautam and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala after Gautam made some remarks against him which were expunged by the Chair.
Gautam also indulged in a verbal duel with Minister of Development and Panchayats Devender Babli, also from JJP, after the former made some remarks on e-tendering system in panchayats.
The Speaker asked Gautam to stick to the topic and expunged the remarks.