‘Breath-taking’ drama in Punjab assembly after Opposition seeks Mann’s sobriety test

Leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that all members undergo an alcohol test.

High drama unfolded in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday following heated exchanges between chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, prompting a walkout by the principal opposition party, which demanded an alcohol test of all members.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann speaks in the State Assembly, in Chandigarh on Friday. (ANI)

The verbal duel between Mann and Khaira began while Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading the official resolution on increasing the minimum wages for labourers. The assembly’s one-day special session was called for this resolution.

Mann rose from his seat and objected to Khaira using his mobile phone, claiming the member was not paying attention to the resolution. “Why don’t you step out of the House and use it?” the chief minister said, drawing a sharp reaction from the MLA.

The Bholath MLA asked Mann who he was to issue directions to him in the House. Mann urged Sandhwan to ask Khaira what he had said about the resolution, following which the Congress member was asked to maintain order. Mann and Khaira engaged in a prolonged heated exchange, pointing fingers at each other, though much of what they said was not audible as several treasury members also joined in.

Sandhwan intervened, directing the treasury members to take their seats. The Speaker also told Khaira that as one of the most experienced members, others expected to learn from him how to conduct themselves. “Here, you are sitting with your legs crossed. You should not do this,” he pointed out, to which the member replied that he was not being allowed to speak.

“He should be medically treated at the assembly’s expense,” Mann said before telling the Congress member to sit down. The Speaker then told the members to proceed with the discussion on the official resolution.

A short while later, another heated exchange ensued between the treasury benches and Congress legislators when Khaira made a remark against Mann, questioning the manner in which he was conducting himself. AAP members responded noisily, and the Speaker immediately expunged the remarks made without his permission. “This is my warning. If any member defies the Chair, I will have to name him,” he said.

At this stage, leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that all members undergo an alcohol test. “An honourable member has made a serious allegation and that also against the head of the state. If it is true, then there cannot be a worse day than this. It is a black day for democracy. Sir, you are the custodian of the House; my request is that you close the doors and get an alcometer test done on all members present here,” he said, exacerbating the chaos.

The Speaker appealed to the members to allow cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak to continue his speech, but noisy scenes persisted. Shortly thereafter, the Congress members entered the well of the House and raised slogans, met by counter-slogans from the treasury benches, before staging a walkout.

boycott it,” he said.

Bajwa replied that he was only seeking regular sessions.

Congress writes to speaker seeking alcohol dope tests for CM, MLAs

Following the stormy morning sitting of the one-day special session of the Punjab assembly, the Congress submitted a letter to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, seeking immediate alcohol and dope testing of chief minister Bhagwant Mann and all MLAs, a demand he firmly rejected.

The letter, signed by 12 Congress MLAs, followed party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s allegations earlier that the chief minister attended the session under the influence and later left without responding to questions, raising serious concerns about the dignity and decorum of proceedings.

In the letter, submitted to the Speaker after the House reassembled, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa termed the issue “grave and urgent”.

Seeking immediate intervention, he called for a uniform protocol, including mandatory breath analyser tests of all members within an hour, and comprehensive dope screening across both treasury and opposition benches.

He proposed that the exercise be carried out by an independent medical team from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, to ensure fairness and credibility.

Rejecting the demand, Sandhwan said members should refrain from making personal allegations against the Leader of the House.

Bajwa maintained that the demand was not aimed at targeting any individual but at ensuring accountability and maintaining the highest standards of conduct within the assembly.

Later in a post on social media platform X, Bajwa claimed that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had described chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s decision to quit alcohol as a “sacrifice”, calling it a revealing admission.

“I have said it umpteen times that if he couldn’t make his own CM nasha-mukt, Punjab’s fight against drugs is doomed under AAP,” Bajwa wrote. He further alleged that Kejriwal himself appeared in an “inebriated state” inside the assembly, terming it an “absolute disgrace”.

Vehemently denying the Congress allegations, cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the opposition party was conspiring to defame the chief minister through a baseless alcohol test demand. “This is a politically motivated move amid allegations of land encroachment involving Congress leaders,” he told reporters.

Issuing a statement, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded Mann’s resignation, asserting he had lost the moral authority to continue in the chair after participating in the special assembly session proceedings in an alleged inebriated state. The SAD president said, “Punjabis are shocked that their chief minister has insulted the august House as well as their mandate in this manner.”

Demanding a probe into the matter, Badal said it was concerning that Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan did not rise to the occasion to protect the dignity of the House by taking appropriate action, including subjecting the chief minister to the required medical tests.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also slammed the chief minister’s “conduct” in the assembly, alleging that he has lowered the dignity of a constitutional office. He also alleged that Mann was “unfit” to be the chief minister. “It is a black day in Punjab’s democratic history,” Jakhar said.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh questioned if the government had nothing to hide, why were they fearing the dope test.