Chandigarh: The Haryana Assembly today reprimanded and suspended BJP’s legislature party leader Anil Vij for his remarks against a woman Minister.
Vij, who represents Ambala Cantt constituency, was speaking on an appropriation bill in the Assembly when he made some “objectionable” remarks against Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal.
The House witnessed commotion after Vij chided Bhukkal when she was responding to the BJP leader, who asked her whether the House or the Chief Minister was supreme.
Attacking Vij, the ruling benches, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, Cabinet Minister Kiran Chaudhry and Bhukkal herself asked the saffron party leader to apologise and take back his remarks.
However, Vij remained adamant claiming he had said nothing objectionable, prompting Surjewala to move a resolution condemning the remark and sought that he be reprimanded near the Well of the House.
“The remarks are unbecoming of a member of a legislative Assembly and he has no place to continue to participate in the House proceedings,” Surjewala said, moving the resolution condemning Vij’s conduct.
Intervening in the matter, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also leader of the House, said if Vij regrets his behaviour, the resolution can be taken back after seeking the sense of the Assembly.
However, Vij said that he had only sought to know from Bhukkal if the House or the Chief Minister is supreme.
To this, Hooda said the House is supreme.
Even as Hooda was speaking, Vij started to walk out from the Assembly.
Speaker Kuldeep Sharma said that Vij is reprimanded for his conduct “and since he has left the House, it is also a contempt of the House (for showing disrespect to the Chair) and the matter has now been referred to the privileges committee”.
Vij, meanwhile, re-entered the Assembly and the Speaker ordered that he be suspended from service of the House for the remainder of the day’s session for his “misconduct, most irresponsible behaviour, disorderly behaviour”.
Meanwhile, during the Question Hour, Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatak had sought an apology from an opposition member for alleged objectionable remarks, but the issue did not carry further as the next question was taken up.
Today was the last day of the budget session of the Haryana Assembly.
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