Congress Storms Out of Haryana Assembly After Job Scam Showdown

Congress MLAs walked out of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday following a heated exchange with the treasury benches over alleged job scams. The incident occurred during the zero hour when opposition members claimed they were not given equal opportunity to speak, particularly about the recent MBBS recruitment controversy.

How The Confrontation Began

The tension started immediately after Question Hour when BJP MLA Sunil Satpal Sangwan rose to speak. Soon after, another ruling party legislator, Om Prakash, brought up an issue regarding a topper being denied a job during the previous Congress government led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. 

Om Prakash quoted a court order claiming that a deserving candidate's name was "covered with fluid," suggesting that qualified youth were deliberately overlooked for government positions. This allegation sparked immediate protests from Congress members.

Opposition Attempts to Raise MBBS Scam 

When Congress MLAs attempted to counter by raising the current MBBS recruitment scam, Speaker Havinder Kalyan refused to allow any discussion on the matter. This decision further intensified the opposition's protests. 

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini added fuel to the fire by stating that it was "a serious matter that youth were denied jobs on merit" during the Congress regime. He further alleged that "the Congress tried to mislead the youth even in this election by urging them to get 50 votes and ensure a job for themselves."

Chaos in the Well of the House 

As tensions escalated, Congress legislators entered the Well of the House, the area directly in front of the Speaker's podium, demanding their right to speak. The Speaker repeatedly asked them to return to their seats and warned that he would "name" them—a parliamentary procedure that can lead to disciplinary action—if they continued their protest.

Eventually, Congress MLA Raghuvir Kadian was given one minute to present his views. Instead of addressing the specific allegations, Kadian commented on the conduct of the treasury benches, saying that "the Speaker needed to bring the House in order." When the Speaker directed him to address the matter at hand, both opposition and treasury benches began trading accusations. Amid the growing chaos, Speaker Kalyan attempted to restore order, but the Congress members, frustrated by what they saw as unfair treatment, decided to stage a walkout.

Political observers note that jobs and recruitment have become the most contentious political issues in Haryana, a state where government employment is highly coveted. With both parties accusing each other of corruption in the recruitment process, the topic is likely to dominate political discourse in the coming months.