Gopal Kanda issue rocks Haryana assembly session

CHANDIGARH: Ruckus prevailed over alleged role of former minister Gopal Krishan Kanda in suicide case of Geetika Sharma in Haryana Assembly on first day as verbal skirmishes between ruling Congress and opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) dominated the proceedings in the house.

The house was adjourned thrice by the speaker as the opposition struck to its demand to held discussions over the issue. Commotion took over the house soon after obituary references as the leader of the opposition OP Chautala tried to raise the matter over the involvement of Kanda. Amid strong protest by the treasury benches, the speaker turned down the demand of the opposition.

Later, both treasury benches and the opposition members took to sloganeering and crowded the well of the house. Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while taking to media person said that the speaker Kuldeep Sharma would look into issue of alleged castest remarks by INLD MLA Abhey Chautala against chief parliamentary secretary Jaivir Balmiki during the session.

He said the government was neither to protect nor punish anyone. The matter is subjudice and being investigated by the police of a different State. The law will take its own course as an FIR has been lodged and he has resigned, Hooda maintained.

During the verbal duels, Congress MLAs and their counterparts in INLD blamed each other for having close realtions with Gopal Krishan Kanda. Kanda, now in the police custody, shared allegiance to INLD before he won as independent from Sirsa and supported the Congress government in the current assembly.