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Chandigarh, Dec 18 (PTI) The Haryana Assembly was adjourned for 15 minutes on Monday as the Congress accused Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala of levelling false charges against its MLA but the Chair said it has been decided that a high court judge would probe the matter.
The Assembly on Friday witnessed heated exchanges between Chautala and Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal over the school principal in Jind who was last month arrested in a sexual harassment case.
Chautala on Friday said in the House that the accused principal had faced similar allegations in 2005 and 2011 but had reached a “compromise” at that Jhajjar residence of Bhukkal in 2011, when she was Haryana’s education minister the Congress government, to stall registration of an FIR. Bhukkal refuted the allegations as baseless.
On Monday, Dushyant told the Assembly that he wanted to make an amendment to his statement and said the date he cited as 2011 was actually in 2012 while the rest of his allegations remain unchanged.
In response, Bhukkal said that she wanted to place a written statement. But Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said the matter has been decided to be probed by a high court judge.
Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the deputy chief minister had “levelled personal allegations against the Congress member”. He also alleged that false charges had been made against Bhukkal.
Hooda objected to the proposed move to request a probe into the allegations by a high court judge while insisting that the Speaker and the state government can do the inquiry. “Assembly proceedings should not be subjected to high court scrutiny,” he said.
Speaker reiterated that the decision has been taken by the House. After the inquiry, the truth will come out, he said. As discussion over the matter continued Gupta adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
When the House reconvened after 15 minutes, lunch break was announced. After the break, a different topic was taken up by the House for discussion.
Before the adjournment, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said there was a lot of discussion over the issue on Friday and keeping in view the sentiments of the House, it was decided to get the matter probed by a high court judge.
Khattar said the Home Department is writing to the high court for a probe.
The way allegations and counter-allegations were levelled, an inquiry will make things clear, he said. Pointing at the opposition benches, Khattar said, “If the chief justice of the high court declines the request of the state government, then we can think of another option.” Deputy CM Chautala told the Congress MLA, “Why are you afraid of an inquiry?” To queries by the Congress members, the Speaker said, “Terms of reference are allegations (for the probe) and counter-allegations which have been levelled. Whether they are right or wrong, only that has to be decided”.
Khattar said, “When an issue was going on in the House (on Friday), members suggested that an inquiry should be held by a sitting judge of the high court. At that time, no one from the opposition objected.” Congress MLA B B Batra said the Assembly matter should be decided by the House only and not by a judge of the high court. PTI SUN VSD NSD NSD
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