Ruckus erupted in the Punjab assembly on Friday, with the opposition Congress demanding the resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Mann over the October 13 murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
As proceedings began on the second day of the session, the Congress legislators raised the issue of Jhota’s murder by a pharmacist in broad daylight. Wearing black scarves, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other party MLAs stood up to press their demand, raising slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state.
They were carrying a poster titled “Lahnat Patar” (Letter of Condemnation), accusing the state government of failing to tackle the law and order situation, drug menace, and gangsterism.
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan urged them not to disrupt the Question Hour, stating that they could raise their issue after it was over. However, the Congress members persisted with the protest and trooped into the well of the House, raising anti-government slogans. Bajwa and others were seen repeatedly requesting the Speaker and senior ministers to receive the “Lahnat Patar”.
While the Congress MLAs continued raising slogans despite the Speaker’s appeals, cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema hit back, targeting the party over the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and “attack” on Akal Takht.
{{/usCountry}}While the Congress MLAs continued raising slogans despite the Speaker’s appeals, cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema hit back, targeting the party over the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and “attack” on Akal Takht.
{{/usCountry}}He also trained his guns on Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, the newly appointed president of the Punjab Congress, over his past association with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), alleging that the drug menace took root in Punjab during the SAD rule.
Cheema had a heated exchange with Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Amid the din, much of what they said to each other was not audible.
Several AAP members sprang to their feet and raised counter-slogans, with some even leaving their seats to stand alongside the front row of treasury benches.
Sandhwan firmly told them to return to their seats. As the Speaker proceeded with Question Hour, the Congress members remained in the well of the House and continued raising slogans before staging a walkout at 10.34 am.
Bajwa later posted on X that the Congress would not let chief minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP run away from accountability. “CM and party chief Aman Arora ran away from the assembly. No member of AAP met Jhota’s grieving family,” he said.
Sukhpal Khaira suspended
Following the Congress walkout, the Punjab assembly passed a resolution suspending MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira for the remainder of the session. Cheema moved the resolution against Khaira, alleging use of unparliamentary language against the Speaker, disregard for the Chair’s directions, and disrupting proceedings of the House.
He said the member’s conduct during the Congress protest during Question Hour had resulted in the waste of valuable legislative time and undermining the dignity of the House. The resolution was passed in the absence of the Opposition.
Responding to his suspension, Khaira said the resolution for his suspension was passed in his absence and without giving him a hearing. The assembly session, which began on Thursday, concludes on October 27.
Conduct of AAP, Cong exposes tacit understanding, alleges Bittu
Senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu later claimed that the conduct of the AAP and the Congress inside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha exposed a tacit understanding that stands in stark contrast to their public political posturing.
“Congress leaders make tall claims before the media outside the assembly, but when it comes to confronting chief minister Bhagwant Mann inside the House, they appear completely helpless. What is the point of the PCC president and the leader of the opposition making big statements outside if they cannot hold the government accountable where it matters most? The people of Punjab deserve to know whether this is opposition or a convenient political arrangement,” Bittu said.
Questioning the proceedings of the concluding session, Bittu alleged that while the chief minister was given ample opportunity to speak, the Congress failed to mount a meaningful challenge on Punjab’s pressing concerns.
Bittu challenged the AAP to clarify whether it or its representatives had formally raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab.
“If AAP had genuine concerns about SIR, what objections did it submit to the Election Commission or the concerned electoral authorities? Let the party place its objections and supporting records in the public domain. Allegations before cameras mean little without facts on record,” he said.
Taking aim at the airport issue raised by the chief minister inside the assembly and outside before the media, Bittu demanded that Mann disclose the complete facts, including the official communications and the circumstances surrounding the incident.