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Bhagwant Mann tables confidence motion amid opposition protest
Punjab assembly session: The House saw massive protests from the opposition parties.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann tabled the confidence motion on Tuesday in the state assembly. The chief minister decided to take the numbers' test despite a back-and-forth last week with governor Banwarilal Purohit over calling a special session of the assembly. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the governor had been engaged in an intense standoff.
Following controversy for several days, the governor had given his go-ahead on Sunday to call the assembly session on Tuesday.
However, as Mann revealed his decision to table the confidence motion, the opposition vehemently criticised the ruling AAP as Tuesday's session saw continuous disruptions.
Leader of opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, condemned the government move, citing the rules and regulations of the state assembly, and the refusal of the governor last week.
BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan had staged a walkout from the House earlier, protesting that no one from the party was included in the Business Advisory Committee.
Later, amid constant chaos, the Speaker asked the marshals to take all 15 Congress MLAs out of the House for disrupting the proceedings as Mann sought strict action. The Congress has 18 members in the 117-member assembly.
The ruling AAP MLAs were also seen raising slogans against the Congress.
Meanwhile, the BJP held a parallel mock session of the Vidhan Sabha outside its Punjab headquarters.
The assembly session has now been extended till October 3. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee. The house will have sittings on Thursday, Friday and Monday.
