Congress moves no-confidence motion against Haryana govt amid farmers' stir

New Delhi, Mar 10: The Congress has moved a no-confidence motion against Manohar Lala Khattar-led BJP-JJP Haryana government in the assembly. The opposition Congress has claimed that two Independent MLAs supporting the government have withdrawn support.

Moving no-confidence motion in the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday morning, Leader of Opposition BS Hooda said, "More than 250 farmers have died on the border. I presented their names but I didn't find it in the newspaper."

"This government has lost the trust of the people. THe CM is not allowed to land his chopper. Farmers from across the country are protesting. Haryana tried to stop farmers and used water cannons, tear gas against them," Bhupinder Singh Hooda said in the assembly on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said there is no threat to the government. "We are confident that the no-confidence motion against the government will be defeated in the Assembly," Khattar said today.

The appeal by the umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the stir against the Centre's farm laws has come as the Congress is set to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government on Wednesday.

In a video appeal to Haryana farmers and state residents, Dr Darshan Pal, a senior farmer leader from Punjab and a key member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), on Sunday said farmers and other residents should approach the BJP, JJP legislators in their homes and offices.

"You should specially put pressure on the BJP-JJP legislators because the Centre is not agreeing to farmers'' demands and for over a month, they have been silent," he said, adding that a no-confidence motion is being brought against the Haryana government in the state assembly on March 10.

Initially, the Congress wanted to move the no-confidence on March 5, the first day of the Budget session, but its request was turned down by the Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, who had fixed March 10 for it.

In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, currently having an effective strength of 88 members, the ruling BJP has 40 members, the JJP 10 and the Congress 30. Seven are Independents, five of whom are supporting the government, while one member is of the Haryana Lokhit Party, who has also extended support to the government.