Chandigarh: The Congress' no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government is set to be taken up in the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday. The opposition Congress has said that it will reveal the truth about who is for and against farmers in the state who are protesting against the Centre's three farm laws for over 100 days now.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda urged Independent and JJP MLAs to consider the sacrifice of 300 farmers who have lost their lives during the protests.
The ruling BJP-JJP as well as the main opposition party have issued whips to their respective members for their compulsory presence in the House.
In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, currently having an effective strength of 88 members, the ruling BJP has 40 members, the JJP 10 and the Congress 30. Seven are Independents, five of whom are supporting the government, while one member is of the Haryana Lokhit Party, who has also extended support to the government.
The Congress will move a no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government in the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday, with Speaker Gian Chand Gupta last Friday fixing the date for it to be taken up in the House.
Talking to reporters after the day's proceedings in the state assembly ended on Friday, former chief minister and Congress leader BS Hooda said, "The no-confidence motion will let people know which MLA stands with the government and which MLA stands with farmers."
He said the party needed to move a no-confidence motion because the BJP-JJP government has lost public confidence and the coalition government, betraying public opinion, is taking anti-people decisions one after the other.
Issuing the whip, Congress has told its lawmakers to be present in the house today.
Congress' senior leader and chief whip BB Batra said, "The members of CLP, Haryana are informed that a no-confidence motion against the government shall be listed on March 10 in the business of the House".
"I issue whip, that you must ensure your presence in the House on March 10 at 10 am positively and support the vote of no-confidence. Members are advised not to leave the House without prior permission of the CLP leader," Batra said.
BJP-JJP issue whip
Haryana minister and BJP's chief whip Kanwar Pal said, "All the members of the Bharatiya Janata Legislature Party are requested to remain present in the House throughout the 10th day of March during the current budget session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha."
"They should not leave the chamber without prior permission of the leader. Many important legislative matters are likely to come up for discussion. The members are requested to be present at the time of division/voting," Pal, who is the Education and the Parliamentary Affairs minister, said while issuing the whip.
BJP's alliance partner the JJP also issued a whip to its legislators.
Jannayak Janta Party's chief whip Amarjeet Dhanda while issuing the whip to his party legislators said, "All JJP members of the Haryana legislative assembly are hereby informed that no-confidence against the Council of Ministers proposed by opposition will be brought in the Haryana legislative assembly on March 10."
"All members of JJP in the Haryana assembly are therefore requested to be present positively in the House throughout the day on March 10 and support the stand of the government against the no-confidence motion," Dhanda said.
Stand with farmers but cannot do anything: JJP MLA
JJP MLA Devender Singh Babli on Tuesday said he stands with protesting farmers but added that he alone could not take a decision and it was for his party to decide on walking out of the ruling alliance.
Asked about his stand on the no-confidence motion, Babli said, "When the party has issued whip, willingness or non-willingness is not the question, one has to go by what the party has decided."
On farmer leaders spearheading the stir against the Centre's new farm laws requesting all MLAs to support the no-confidence motion, Babli said, "If I alone take a stand, will farmers get justice? The voice I am raising in favour of farmers by being a member of the House, will I be able to do that when my party expels me for taking a different stand."
Babli, who was interacting with reporters after the end of the day's proceedings in the assembly, said, "You should understand. Entire party should withdraw support, Dushyant (Chautala) should take a step if this issue (farmers) is not being resolved.... All (JJP) MLAs should come out (of the alliance)."
(With PTI inputs)
