Congress Walks Out During Haryana Budget Session Amid Dispute Over CM's Reply

During the ongoing Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, the Congress party staged a dramatic walkout as soon as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini began his reply to the Governor's address. The opposition's exit came after a brief but tense exchange between the treasury benches and Congress members over the nature of the Chief Minister's speech. 

One-Year Anniversary Speech Triggers Dispute 

Chief Minister Saini, who began by extending Holi greetings to assembly members, noted that it was exactly one year since he took oath as Chief Minister. He mentioned that Haryana had been in "election mode" since then and indicated he would focus on his government's achievements over the past year, despite claiming a "long list of achievements" spanning the last decade. 

"The past year has seen significant progress in Haryana despite the challenges," Saini said before being interrupted by opposition members. 

Jobs Announcement Sparks Immediate Pushback 

The walkout was triggered when the Chief Minister highlighted that his government had provided 26,000 jobs. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda immediately challenged this claim by questioning "for how long had these jobs been held back" - suggesting these were positions that should have been filled earlier. 

Hooda then raised a procedural objection, arguing that the Chief Minister was not adhering to parliamentary norms. "The CM is not restricting himself to giving a reply on the Governor's address but is giving a speech on the government's achievements," Hooda stated, implying that Saini was using the occasion for political campaigning rather than addressing the specific points raised in the Governor's address. 

Brief Exchange Leads to Opposition Exit

Following Hooda's objection, a heated exchange erupted between the treasury benches and Congress legislators. Though brief, the confrontation highlighted the growing political tensions in the state, which is expected to hold assembly elections later this year.

Unable to resolve the disagreement, the Congress members collectively walked out of the assembly, leaving the Chief Minister to continue his address to a chamber dominated by ruling party representatives.