Cong MLAs spend night in Punjab Assembly, order fast food for dinner

CHANDIGARH: Twenty-one Congress legislators refused to leave the Punjab assembly on Tuesday, more than 24 hours after they launched an unprecedented protest after

CHANDIGARH: Twenty-one Congress legislators refused to leave the Punjab assembly on Tuesday, more than 24 hours after they launched an unprecedented protest after losing a no-confidence motion against the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance government in the poll-bound state.

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Even an appeal by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who reached the House in the afternoon, failed as the MLAs decided to sweat it out for another night in the government-opposition face-off.

Though 27 legislators had started the agitation, some had left on Monday night and a few in the morning. They were not allowed to return after the assembly premises were sealed in the morning.

Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri was shifted after he complained of uneasiness on Tuesday evening. By the end of the action-packed day, the Congress and the ruling SAD-BJP were chalking out counter-strategies for the last day of the session on Wednesday.

Sources said the treasury benches will move a breach of privilege motion against the Congress MLAs who squatted inside the House after it was adjourned. The Congress will insist on the Speaker resuming a discussion on the “defeated no-confidence motion”.

Though most MLAs said they were not able to take a bath and had no change of clothes, supporters of a few were seen carrying food and medicines inside.

For Ludhiana MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu, one of his supporters carried a dry-cleaned kurta pyjama. A supporter of MLA Sangat Singh Giljian carried an insulin kit and supporters of leader of opposition Charanjit Singh Channi came with food and drinking water.

The supply of food from outside continued as exotic fruits, water, cold drinks, juices, fast food were sent in at regular intervals. The assembly staff had deputed a person to act as the go-between.

“They keep switching off our lights and air-conditioners. We had no food and water for long hours. But we are fighting for Punjab and will not let the government browbeat us,” Channi said about Monday’s night’s ordeal.

As the night dragged on, assembly staff left the premises around 1am and television visuals showed legislators fanning themselves in the darkness and engaged in conversation with the dim light from mobile phones.

The chief minister’s office sent out a press note with photographs of Badal, hands folded, requesting the MLAs to end the sit-in. Terming Badal’s visit a gimmick, Channi said: “I told him that our protest will continue till the resumption of the no-trust vote debate”.