Haryana Assembly today witnessed pandemonium after Sports Minister Anil Vij said he would consider renaming sports complexes named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, drawing opposition from Congress which asked the BJP to apologise for "insulting" national leaders.
The trouble began during Question Hour when ruling BJP member Sham Singh Rana asked if there was any proposal under government's consideration to construct a modern sports stadium in Radaur constituency.
Replying to the question, Vij, who also holds the Health portfolio, informed the House that there are three Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Khel Parisars in village Barsan, Nagal and Golani in Radaur constituency.
As he was reading out his reply, Vij said the rural sports complexes named after Rajiv Gandhi will have to be renamed.
While former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was not present in the House at that time, other Congress members, including former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhary, Karan Singh Dalal and others attacked the ruling benches over Vij's remarks.
As the tempers ran high, Vij shot back at Kuldeep Sharma, who had demanded that the minister take back his "mischievous" and "obnoxious" thinking.
"Government will decide what it has to do. You (Kuldeep) are not in the government. I am talking on behalf of the government. I am a Minister, you are only a MLA... Who you are (who are you), I am very serious in what I have said," the outspoken Vij shot back.
Choudhary and Dalal intervened saying they will not allow any "insult to their national leaders" and asked the ruling members to tender an apology.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made an attempt to pacify the situation, saying government will only change anything if there is a provision under the rules and if rules wont allow, then it will not take such a step. However, this failed to satisfy Congress, who got up on their feet.
Pointing towards Speaker Kanwar Pal, Dalal said since Rajiv Gandhi is not alive and cannot defend himself, his name should not be taken in the House in this manner.
Main opposition INLD's senior leader, Abhay Singh Chautala, who is also the Leader of Opposition, joined hands with the ruling BJP to hit out at the Congress.
Chautala said the previous Congress government in the state should remember their own time when they had changed the name of two units of Panipat Thermal Power plant at Panipat, which were named after former Deputy Prime Minister, late Devi Lal.
INLD MLA Jaswinder Singh Sandhu also hit out at the Congress, saying "wounds of 1984 (anti-Sikh) riots are still fresh.. We are still waiting for justice".
