Chandigarh, March 18 -- Hit by twin setbacks in Rajya Sabha elections--invalidation of four votes and cross-voting by five of its MLAs--a rattled Congress on Tuesday brought Haryana Assembly proceedings to a grinding halt, accusing the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government of "vote theft" and "murder of democracy." The embarrassing aftershocks of the Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh winning by a whisker despite comfortable numbers on paper, began reverberating in the House after the Question Hour. The ruckus continued till post-lunch break despite Congress forcing one adjournment earlier. The tussle reached a crescendo when speaker Harvinder Kalyan resumed debate on budget estimates after an hour-long lunch recess. Congress MLAs began raising the poll outcome issue even as the speaker reiterated his stand that the issue of Rajya Sabha polls that Congress MLAs were raising fell outside the assembly's purview. Kalyan said that frontline Congress leaders had already raised the matter and that he will not let all the Congress MLAs repeat it. The Congress members, however, refused to yield. The speaker repeatedly warned the agitating Opposition members, but Congress members did not relent. Kalyan's last warning also went unheard and he then named eight Congress MLAs. Finally, all Congress MLAs walked out of the House and did not return, forcing CM Saini to wrap the debate on budget estimates while standing in front of empty opposition benches. Earlier, soon after the Question Hour, Congress' veteran leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian opened the assault after appreciating speaker Kalyan for discharging his constitutional duties by attending the proceedings despite being in mourning (speaker's mother passed away on March 13). After commending the speaker, Kadian hit out, saying, "The decorum of the House has been dented.What happened last night," Kadian said, "tantamount to throttling the throat of democracy." Following Kadian's remarks, Congress MLAs resorted to sloganeering and also trooped into the well of the House, triggering pandemonium that continued for over 16 minutes. And the speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes even as he repeatedly asked Congress members that the issue they were raising did not relate to the House. When the House re-assembled, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave further push to the Congress' assault. "Prajatantra ki hatya hui hai (democracy has been murdered)," Hooda said, accusing the treasury benches of "deplorable behaviour" and mocking democratic norms. "The House is a symbol of democracy," Hooda said. The speaker, however, repeatedly stated that the matter being raised by the Congress was outside the purview of the Assembly and advised the Opposition to seek legal recourse if it had any objections related to the election. Amid unruly scenes, Congress MLAs rose to their feet, while BJP legislators countered them, further adding to the din in the House. When the House reassembled after the lunch break at 2 pm, the speaker began the debate on the budget estimates even as the Congress yet again resumed protest. Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Arora stood up and raised the issue of "murder of democracy" during Rajya Sabha polls. Other Congress MLAs also rose to their feet. "No discussion will be allowed. raise this matter at an appropriate platform," the speaker said, repeatedly urging Congress members who had gathered around the front row of Congress benches to return to their seats. But Congress members resorted to sloganeering and din prevailed in the House. The treasury benches also responded in kind, countering the Congress. At 2.10 pm, the speaker warned slogan shouting Congress MLAs, saying that if members did not return to their seats he would name them. Eventually, all Congress MLAs returned to their benches, but the speaker did not permit Arora to raise the issue. "Do you want to let the house function or not?" the speaker asked the Congress, issuing a final warning that he will name the members. At 2.10 pm, the speaker issued a final warning and named eight Congress MLAs. The Congress legislators staged a walkout just 14 minutes after the post lunch session that had begun at 2pm. Later, cabinet minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, who was at loggerheads with CLP leader Hooda, alleged he was receiving threats from Congress members both inside and outside the House. He also flagged the former CM's alleged remarks challenging BJP leaders to enter villages. Moving a "ninda prastav (censure motion)", Bedi slammed the Congress for its "unbecoming and irresponsible" conduct in disrupting proceedings despite the speaker's repeated interventions. The motion was passed by a voice vote in the absence of the Opposition. Taking a swipe at the walkout, INLD MLA Aditya Devi Lal remarked that the Congress habitually exits the House whenever crucial issues are up for discussion....