The budget session of the Punjab assembly got off to a rocky start on Friday with heated exchanges between the opposition Congress and ruling Aam Aadmi Party members over governor Banwarilal Purohit addressing the Bhagwant Mann government as “my government” that eventually led to the Congress MLAs walking out.
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Soon after the governor began his address, leader of opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa objected to Purohit calling the AAP government as “my government”, saying that they address the governor as “selected” and themselves as “elected representatives”. “They (the AAP MLAs) have not accepted you as one of them and have not responded to issues raised by you,” Bajwa said.
Purohit replied, “There should be no controversy as this is a very important session.”
When Bajwa and certain other Congress members insisted, the governor accepted their demand and started reading out his speech that focused on health and education. At this, chief minister Mann got up and said that the governor should refer to the government as “my government”. Mann and Bajwa argued and reiterated their positions. Finally, Purohit said he would refer to it as “my government”.
When the governor spoke about the 36 government school principals being sent to Singapore for a five-day leadership development programme, Bajwa was up on his feet again, reminding Purohit about his letter to Mann on the issue. The leader of opposition asked the governor if the government had provided the information he had sought. Purohit said he was confident they would.
{{/usCountry}}When the governor spoke about the 36 government school principals being sent to Singapore for a five-day leadership development programme, Bajwa was up on his feet again, reminding Purohit about his letter to Mann on the issue. The leader of opposition asked the governor if the government had provided the information he had sought. Purohit said he was confident they would.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress MLAs kept insisting for a reply and got ready to walk out. The governor appealed to them to remain present in the House and hear his address, but they walked out.
In the second sitting on the opening day of the budget session, obituary references were paid to prominent persons who died after the adjournment of the last session. They include: Lok Sabha member Ch Santokh Singh, former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former state ministers Naresh Thakur and Babu Ram Chawla, former MLA Malkiat Singh, freedom fighter Pritam Singh and veteran journalist Niranjan Singh Parwana.
Congress MLA Avtar Henry Junior requested the House to also pay condolences to those killed in the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
The discussion on the governor’s address will take place on March 6.
The governor and the chief minister had been locked in a tussle over summoning the budget session. The AAP had accused the governor of not responding to the cabinet decision to call the budget session from March 3. The governor indicated last week in a letter to CM Mann that he was in no hurry to summon the session. The AAP government then moved the Supreme Court against the governor’s “refusal”, where Purohit said he has summoned the budget session from March 3.
The budget session will be held in two phases. The first phase will begin on March 3 and continue till March 11 before a break for two G20 meetings to be held in Amritsar.
The second phase of the budget session will commence from March 22 and will continue till March 24.
State finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema will present the budget for financial year 2023-24 on March 10. It will be the first full budget of the AAP government.