The Haryana Assembly witnessed a significant escalation in political tensions on Monday as Speaker Harvinder Kalyan took decisive action against controversial remarks made on the floor of the House. The matter involving Congress legislator Induraj Narwal and his comments targeting former minister Venod Sharma has been officially referred to a privileges committee for a detailed investigation.
How the Privilege Motion Was Triggered
The referral process was initiated after a resolution moved by the Speaker himself, acting on a request from BJP MLA Shakti Rani Sharma. Shakti Rani Sharma, who represents the Kalka constituency, is also the wife of Venod Sharma, the central figure in the controversy. The motion gained substantial backing, with more than 15 MLAs supporting it. This number comfortably crossed the required threshold needed to send the matter for a formal committee probe.
The contentious incident occurred last Friday during a heated discussion on a no-confidence motion. Congress MLA Induraj Narwal, while targeting the Chautala family, brought up the name of former minister Venod Sharma. His comments were linked to the election of Sharma's son, Kartikeya Sharma, to the Rajya Sabha. According to established assembly rules, members are prohibited from discussing individuals who are not part of the House or making statements irrelevant to the subject under debate.
Congress's Attempt to De-escalate and the Speaker's Decision
In an attempt to calm the situation, senior Congress MLA Ashok Arora intervened. Following the zero hour, Arora requested Speaker Harvinder Kalyan to review the official transcripts of Friday's proceedings. He urged that the allegations be verified from the records before any punitive action was taken. However, the Speaker turned down this request, allowing the decision to refer the matter to the privileges committee to stand.
Outside the assembly complex, Venod Sharma addressed the media, launching a strong counterattack. He criticized the conduct of certain MLAs, stating, "Some MLAs are unaware of parliamentary language and comments to be used during proceedings of the House." He vehemently denied the allegations made by Narwal, calling them "baseless, false, fabricated, and far from the facts."
Political Repercussions and Accusations
Sharma went further, suggesting that the Congress party needed to exercise better control over its members regarding their conduct in the legislative chamber. He framed Narwal's outburst as an act of political frustration. "I would rather say that such conduct is an act of frustration over losing elections in Rajya Sabha as well as assembly elections," Sharma added.
In his defense, Sharma also highlighted the legitimacy of his son Kartikeya Sharma's Rajya Sabha victory. He pointed to the support from the BJP and its alliance partners at the time. Simultaneously, he reminded the public of alleged internal misconduct within the Congress ranks, which he claimed had jeopardized their own candidate's prospects in the election.
The referral to the privileges committee sets the stage for a formal inquiry that could lead to disciplinary action against MLA Induraj Narwal if he is found guilty of breaching legislative privilege. This development marks another flashpoint in the often-volatile politics of the Haryana Assembly.
