Cong MLAs briefly walk out of Haryana Assembly over govt job recruitment issue

The proceedings of the Haryana Assembly on Monday witnessed a heated exchange between the opposition Congress and ruling BJP members on job recruitments, with the grand old party members briefly walking out of the House. Immediately after Question Hour ended, Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal sought to know the fate of the adjournment motion which the opposition party had submitted pertaining to the recruitments by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). The Congress had recently alleged that candidates from outside Haryana were securing a disproportionate share of government jobs. They had also alleged that HPSC is unable to fill all advertised positions. Speaker Harvinder Kalyan told the Congress member that it was under consideration. However, other Congress members stood up in their seats to demand the acceptance of the adjournment motion. The speaker told them that under the rules, only issues of urgent importance can be admitted, but in their motion, they had sought a reply for recruitments in the last 11 years. Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while addressing the chair, said, ''You first said it is under consideration and then the next moment you said that it has been rejected.'' After this, the Congress MLAs got up and raised slogans. ''The House will run according to the rules. Do not try to create this atmosphere where you don't listen to anyone,'' the speaker told the Congress members, while urging them to resume their seats and maintain decorum. The issue also witnessed a heated exchange between the BJP and Congress members. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda said not just Parliament but everywhere the Congress creates such unruly scenes. They pre-plan and do such things, Dhanda charged. After a heated exchange between the Congress and BJP benches, the Congress legislators later walked out briefly. Later, towards the end of the day's proceedings, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the government never shies away from any discussion and said they are ready to discuss the HPSC issue which Congress wants to raise. ''But we request that the Congress should listen and not stage a walkout as is their habit,'' Saini said. The speaker assured the House that the notice submitted by the Congress will be examined under the rules and assured a discussion will take place. Meanwihle, during the discussion on the Governor's Address, Congress MLA Ashok Arora said that the Address reflects the roadmap and vision of any government. Ashok Arora claimed that there is no mention of key issues in this. During his address, Arora raised an alleged Rs 5,000 crore paddy scam and the unemployment, drug, farmers, MGNREGA and other issues. Intervening while Arora was speaking and attacking BJP on several issues, Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi took on the Congress, saying they should remember their rule when regional bias prevailed and government jobs were given on considerations such as caste, area and even the 'gotra' to which one belongs. Bedi said the list of the candidates who were to be given jobs during the Congress rule was prepared first and the results would be declared later. This also triggered an exchange between the BJP and Congress benches.