Chandigarh, April 27
The Congress on Monday boycotted a special session of the Haryana Assembly, alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party sought to use a resolution to target the INDIA opposition bloc following the defeat of a Constitution amendment bill in the Lok Sabha. The party said the issue raised by the government did not fall within the Assembly’s jurisdiction.
Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress Legislature Party decided to stay away from the daylong session. He stated that no copy of the resolution was shared with Congress MLAs and added that members would not claim any allowances for the day. “We cannot allow the use of the Vidhan Sabha platform for political ploys of the BJP. The CLP decided that we would boycott the session,” Hooda said. He maintained that the Assembly should focus on matters of public interest and not be used for political programmes.
The Congress also held a mock session outside the Assembly premises to highlight its objections to the government’s move. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini criticised the boycott and said it reflected an “anti-women” mindset. He said the resolution was official in nature and centred on women’s rights and empowerment. Saini said discussions in the Business Advisory Committee had clarified the intent of the resolution and rejected claims that it was politically motivated.
Referring to the Constitution amendment bill on women’s reservation, Saini said all parties should have supported it in Parliament. “Even if they did not want to support the resolution, they could have put forward their views. Their decision to boycott reflects their anti-women mindset,” he said. He added that the resolution was meant to send a strong message in favour of equal rights and opportunities for women.
During the session, suspended Congress MLAs Shaily Chaudhary, Renu Bala and Jarnail Singh briefly appeared in the House. Jarnail Singh spoke in support of the resolution. The bill proposing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies from 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha earlier this month. The Congress and its allies had opposed it, citing concerns over delimitation and the absence of a caste census.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda and other ministers said the Assembly should consider a motion to censure the Congress for its absence. They maintained that the issue under discussion concerned the future and rights of women rather than party politics. The boycott and the exchange of allegations are expected to intensify political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP in Haryana in the coming days.
