Uproar in Haryana assembly over Robert Vadra's land deals, 'RSS agenda'

CHANDIGARH: Haryana assembly today witnessed uproarious scenes following the Governor's address with the Chief Minister asserting that all "wrongdoings" of the Hooda regime would be probed and the Congress accusing the BJP government in the state of pursuing " RSS agenda".

In the midst of the din, Leader of Opposition and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala demanded a probe into the Robert Vadra land deals by a sitting judge.

Meanwhile, the newly elected speaker, Kanwarpal Gujjar, created a flutter by saying that he is a "Swayamsewak" and described RSS as a "social organisation".

In his nearly 90-minute reply on the Governor's address, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stressed that corruption remained a core issue for the new government and said, without specifically referring to the Vadra land deal, his government would look into various "wrongdoings" of the previous regime.

Intervening in the matter,former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda told the House,"I have said this earlier and today also I am saying whatever we did was within policy. Let there be any free and fair inquiry. I will welcome."

Refuting allegations of extending favour to anyone in land deals, Hooda said, "I am saying on the floor of the House, during my time, the government did not get single inch of land acquired for any builder."

Leader of Opposition Chautala alleged that rules had been given a go by and laid down procedures were not followed by the erstwhile Congress regime to benefit the firm of Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He alleged that the Congress government provided undue benefits to a real estate company "as Vadra was involved" in it.

The House also witnessed sharp exchange between Congress and BJP MLAs after Congress MLA and former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma claimed that the Governor has been "forced" to read out the "RSS agenda". BJP MLAs promptly refuted him.

Addressing his predecessor, Speaker Gujjar said, "...I am sitting on the Speaker's chair and I am proud of the fact that I am a 'Swayamsewak'", to thumping of benches by BJP MLAs.

Hitting back at the former Speaker, the Chief Minister said that his (CM's) association with RSS goes back to 1980 when he joined the organisation as a 'Pracharak'. Khattar said there is no such agenda as "RSS agenda".