Moon mission sparks credit war in Haryana assembly

The trouble began soon after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar read out a resolution congratulating ISRO scientists and Prime Minister Modi for Chandrayaan-3 mission’s success on the opening day of the monsoon session of the assembly in Chandigarh.

When people were rejoicing on Friday watching the much-awaited video of the Pragyan rover leaving the Indian emblem imprint on the lunar surface, Haryana BJP and Congress leaders were engaged in a verbal duel in the assembly over who should be credited with Mission Moon’s success.

When people were rejoicing on Friday watching the much-awaited video of the Pragyan rover leaving the Indian emblem imprint on the lunar surface, Haryana BJP and Congress leaders were engaged in a verbal duel in the assembly over who should be credited with Mission Moon’s success in Haryana assembly. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Two days after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created history with landing of Chandrayaan-3 and the space agency released images and video of the rover (Pragyan) rolling out of the Vikram lander, the ruling BJP profusely applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “visionary approach” and dedication and hard work of the ISRO. On the other hand, the principal opposition party, the Congress insisted that the role of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru must be acknowledged in equal measure.

The trouble began soon after chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar read out a resolution congratulating ISRO scientists and Prime Minister Modi for Chandrayaan-3 mission’s success on the opening day of the monsoon session of the assembly in Chandigarh.

“This landmark accomplishment has positioned India as the first nation to reach the Moon’s enigmatic south pole,” Khattar said, attributing this triumph to “exceptional dedication and relentless efforts of the brilliant minds” at the ISRO.

Khattar also referred to components sourced from Rohtak and Rewari for the spacecraft, and commended the participation of youth from various districts of Haryana who were a part of the Chandrayaan-3 team.

Though the Congress supported the resolution, it said what ISRO achieved was the result of steps taken by successive prime ministers and that the role of the first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, must be acknowledged.

“All prime ministers starting from Nehru have played a major role in what ISRO has done,” Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said while other Congress MLAs stood up and backed their leader.

At this, state home minister Anil Vij stood up and asked Hooda to first thank PM Modi. Vij wanted to know why Hooda was hesitating to applaud Modi. Hooda said Congress was backing the resolution that contained the name of PM Modi.

In the midst of verbal duel, pandemonium prevailed in the House as members of both parties raised slogans for short duration and speaker Gian Chand Gupta struggled in maintaining order.

As the Congress MLAs reiterated Nehru’s role in ISRO’s success and CLP leader Hooda and health minister Vij targeted each other, speaker Gupta intervened and asked Vij to stop arguing and sit down.

However, Hooda and Vij kept sparring. Finally, speaker Gupta was up on his feet and asked Vij to sit down. A visibly upset Vij walked out of the House.

Later, members from both sides stood up and passed a resolution that Khattar had moved, applauding ISRO’s achievement.

As Vij didn’t come back to the House, the speaker said: “There is some confusion...I did not ask minister Anil Vij to go out of the House. I will request him to return. He should be in the House.”

As Vij’s abrupt absence caused flutter in Treasury benches, Khattar was seen scribbling something on a paper that a Vidhan Sabha staffer handed over to deputy speaker Ranbir Singh Gangwa. The deputy speaker immediately went out of the House and was seen pacifying Vij, who was sitting in the assembly complex adjoining the House.

Finally at 12.40pm, Vij returned to the House along with Gangwa.

When the House reassembled after 45-minute lunch break at 2pm, Vij didn’t come back to the House. The speaker too returned to the House at 5pm.

“Vij saheb is in my cabin right now...,” speaker Gupta said outside the House responding to a question after the assembly proceedings of Friday were over.

House pays tributes to departed souls

Chandigarh : Haryana Vidhan Sabha paid tributes to former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Chaudhary Randhir Singh (former governor of Sikkim), former Union minister Rattan Lal Kataria, and the victims of Odisha train accident.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who read out the obituary references, led the House in paying tributes to prominent personalities and soldiers killed in action in recent months.

The five-time Punjab chief minister Badal passed away in April this year, while former Union minister and BJP’s Ambala MP, Kataria died in May. The members of the House also observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the departed souls.

The House also expressed sorrow on the untimely demise of security personnel, who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at Poonch district on April 20 and at Rajouri district on May 5 in Jammu & Kashmir. The House also paid tributes to 42 soldiers of Haryana who have died in the line of duty in past few months.

SIDELIGHTS

Tussle between Abhay, speaker

The House yet again witnessed unsavoury tussle of INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala with speaker Gian Chand Gupta. Taking exception to the tone and tenor of Abhay Chautala, speaker Gupta asked the MLA to address the Chair “respectfully.” But Abhay refused to relent. In his characteristic tone, Abhay said that he would expose the speaker and asked: “Have you received my e-mail...”

CM, Hooda take potshots at each other

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda refers to the state government as a government being run by web portals. And when the House assembled on Friday morning, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar used the “portal” to fire the first salvo at Hooda. Khattar got up to speak on obituary references using the documents available in digital mode in place of hard copy. But sitting in front of him on the opposition benches Hooda is not tech savvy. Hooda wanted the copy as he too had to speak later. In a direct hit at Hooda, Khattar said: “Some people don’t know (how to handle) portal.”

No-show by officers despite orders

As Zero Hour began, the officers’ gallery was empty. This despite the state government issuing orders to the officers to remain present in the assembly as per the roster. Deputy speaker Ranbir Singh Gangwa was on the Chair and Congress’ Shamsher Singh Gogi was the first MLA to speak. Gogi drew attention of the Chair towards empty chairs in officers’ gallery. It was five minutes after the House had reassembled and Gogi had finished his speech that one “retired and yet again hired” bureaucrat came to the officers’ gallery.