Verbal exchange between Haryana Deputy CM and Congress MLA over Jind school principal issue

PTI

Chandigarh, December 15  

The Haryana Assembly on Friday witnessed a verbal exchange between Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Congress member Geeta Bhukkal over the arrest of a school principal in Jind in sexual harassment case.

As allegations and counter allegations were levelled, Speaker Gian Chand Gupta assured the House that a written request on Assembly's behalf will be made to the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a thorough probe into the matter by a HC judge.

The JJP leader Dushyant said the accused principal had faced allegations in 2005 and 2011 too, but a "compromise" took place at Jhajjar residence of Bhukkal in 2011 when she was Haryana's Education Minister at that time in the then Congress government to stall registration of a FIR against the accused.

However, Bhukkal refuted allegations against her as baseless and asked Dushyant to apologise.

During the Zero Hour, Geeta Bhukkal while referring to the sexual harassment allegations levelled against the accused school principal by several female students of the school, said daughters are not safe even in educational institutions.

She then raised the matter to the school in Uchana in Jind district.

The accused principal was last month booked under various provisions of the law, including Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Dushyant, who is MLA from Uchana, said the accused principal had faced complaints even in 2005 and 2011.

"Who got him transferred to Uchana in 2011. Who was the Education Minister then," Dushyant asked.

He also said the then Congress government prevented a complaint lodged in the form of a Daily Diary Report against the accused should not be lodged as a FIR.

Bhukkal said either Dushyant should give proof to back his allegations or apologise in the House.

In a village in his Uchana area, several girls are sexually harassed, she said, while accusing Dushyant of "diverting" from the issue by levelling "baseless" allegations against her.

During the verbal exchange, she made some remarks against Dushyant, which were expunged by the Speaker.

The Speaker also told her not to speak in a threatening tone towards the member.

Dushyant said when Bhukkal was talking about the accused principal during the Zero Hour, he stood up and said it is not the first time the accused was into such things.

"..In 2011, a village panchayat got the DDR registered against the accused, but an FIR was not lodged," the JJP leader said.

Geeta Bhukkal said she can never stoop to such a level to protect such an accused as was being alleged by Dushyant.

Deputy CM, however, alleged that Bhukkal ensured that the accused's posting remained in Uchana only.

However, Bhukkal said that she does not even know the accused person and the allegation that she defended him earlier is baseless.

"How you have taken my name, how you are making baseless allegations," Bhukkal told Dushyant.

Education Minister Kanwar Pal said the present government had got a case registered against the accused when the matter of sexual harassment came to light and the accu sed principal was dismissed from service and put behind the bars.

Bhukkal said that the girls who faced sexual harassment had to write letters to the Prime Minister, President, Chief Minister to seek justice. Rather than giving justice to them, Dushyant Chautala is making baseless allegations, she said.

"Let Dushyant Chautala give proof, how Deputy CM has taken my name," she said, while adding she is ready to give an affidavit that she ever gave any kind of protection to the accused as was being alleged. But I will not tolerate a wrong statement, she said.

As the matter dragged on, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar suggested that the matter be probed by a police officer or someone from the education department. Who played a role in cancelling DDR, everything needs to become clear, he said.

Khattar rejected Batra's suggestion that the Vidhan Sabha committee should go into the issue.

Abhay Chautala also intervened and demanded a judicial probe so that the entire truth comes out.

Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said a high court sitting judge should probe, after which the Speaker said that a written request on behalf of the state assembly will be made to the HC.

#Congress #Dushyant Chautala #Gian Chand Gupta #Jind