The suspended opposition INLD members today held a protest dharna outside the Haryana Assembly complex, seeking dismissal of Congress MLAs whose names figured in the "cash-for-CLU" scam.
Despite imposition of Section 144 banning assembly of five or more persons at a spot, the suspended INLD MLAs started arriving shortly before the session began here in the afternoon.
The legislators led by Abhay Singh Chautala and state unit chief Ashok Arora raised slogans against the Hooda government and demanded a high-level probe into the video clips, which purportedly showed some Congress MLAs and their relatives seeking graft for getting Change of Land Use done.
All MLAs concerned whose names figured in the CDs released by INLD, termed the "sting operation" a conspiracy and said they were open to any probe.
When the authorities informed the protesting INLD MLAs that they could not hold their protest as Section 144 was imposed in the area, they dispersed in groups of four and carried on with their protest.
Barring four MLAs, virtually the entire opposition, 28 of INLD and one of BJP, were suspended by the Speaker on Friday for the remainder of the ongoing monsoon session for their conduct in the House.
Later, INLD legislators held a mock Assembly session, in which they lashed out at the state government on corruption, law and order situation and for "murder of democracy as the opposition's voice has been silenced".
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Anil Vij, who was also suspended by the Speaker on Friday, also sat on a dharna outside the Assembly today.
"The Assembly session without opposition is like a Congress party meeting. Democracy in Haryana is being slaughtered...By expelling the opposition, Congress cannot suppress the voice against corruption," he said in a statement later.
