Punjab assembly monsoon session likely from August 16

House to witness tabling of Justice Ranjit Singh commission report; Congress to corner Akali-BJP coalition under whose watch sacrilege incidents took place.

The Punjab government is likely to call the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha beginning August 16 or 17, with the session running into four days.

The session schedule will be finalised depending on the submission of the complete report by the Ranjit Singh commission probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents and sacrilege cases. (HT File)

“Most likely, it will begin on August 16 as the Punjab governor will be out of the town for 10 days from August 20. His presence is must. The government doesn’t want to hold the session in September,” said a senior official.

The session schedule will be finalised depending on the submission of the complete report by the Ranjit Singh commission probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents and sacrilege cases. Once the report is submitted, the government will prepare an action taken report, which is mandatory to be tabled along with the report findings. “We are working on the schedule and other agenda,” a cabinet minister said.

Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had on Monday announced the forthcoming session as a “special” in which the Ranjit panel report will be discussed. The commission had tabled the first part of the report on June 30. In the second part of the report, the commission will cover all 162 incidents of sacrilege.

The Congress government is planning to corner the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition under whose watch the incidents of sacrilege took place across the state. While the ruling party has 78 MLAs, SAD and BJP have 16 and 3 legislators in the assembly.

“We will defend our party and coalition. Let us see what the government brings out in the report,” said SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in the middle of a turmoil after the removal of Sukhpal Singh Khaira as leader of opposition, will also try to rally against the government.

But it is to be seen how the party fares with the LoP baton having been handed over to supposedly composed Harpal Singh Cheema from an aggressive Khaira.