Chandigarh: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Haryana Assembly today which led to the adjournment of the House thrice on issues including land allotment to Yoga guru Ramdev’s Patajali Yogpeeth and the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal.
Things took an ugly turn soon after Tourism Minister Ram Bilas Sharma replied to a question raised during the Question Hour by BJP MLA from Kalka, Latika Sharma, who had sought to know regarding government’s proposal, if any, to develop Morni area in her constituency into a tourist spot.
The BJP and the Congress indulged in heated exchange after Congress leader Karan Singh Dalal said the government was giving land to Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth for development of a herbal forest at Morni in Panchkula district “without following” due procedures.
Dalal claimed that Ramdev, who was appointed as brand ambassador by the the Manohar Lal Khattar government for promotion of Yoga and Ayurveda, was being extended “undue benefit” by the present regime and costly land in Morni had “been doled out to him”.
Health Minister Anil Vij clarified that no land had been transferred to Patanjali Yogpeeth and only an MoU with Patanjali Anusandhan Sansthan Divya Yog Mandir Trust, Haridwar, was signed for developing World Herbal Forest in Morni.
However, Dalal questioned Vij’s locus standi in answering the question, with the minister hitting back in an angry tone and asking the Congress member to take his seat.
Vij pointed out that Ramdev was brand ambassador of the state and the herbal forest was being only developed under his guidance, to which a Congress member quipped, “Seth Ramdev kaho (call him Seth Ramdev)”.
Dissatisfied with the reply of the ministers, the Congress MLAs started to walk out of the House when state Cooperation Minister Manish Grover passed some remarks, which infuriated them.
The BJP members pointed out that Congress MLA Kuldeep Sharma had used similar words for Vij in the House earlier, but Sharma said he had already expressed regret.
Senior Congress leader and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala, party’s state CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, Kuldeep Sharma, Anand Singh Dangi, Karan Singh Dalal, Geeta Bhukkal and other party legislators rushed to the Well of the House on three occasions in protest, asking the Speaker to tell Grover to tender apology.
“His (Grover’s) remarks are also an insult to the two senior woman legislators of the Congress — Geeta Bhukkal and Shakuntala Khatak, both of whom belong to the Dalit community,” Surjewala said demanding an apology from the Grover.
— PTI