Din in Punjab House as oppn MLAs spar, Congress remains a spectator

Lok Insaaf Party MLAs Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains had released an audio recording on November 27, claiming it to be a conversation about payment of Rs 35 lakh to a Punjab and Haryana High Court judge for action against AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira in a drug smuggling case

The Punjab assembly witnessed noisy scenes on day two of the winter session on Tuesday with the opposition parties indulging in a slugfest after the Aam Aadmi Party sought a CBI probe into an alleged conspiracy against its leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drug case.

Leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira with other AAP leaders protesting at the Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh on Tuesday. LIP member Simarjeet Singh Bains is also seen. (Keshav Singh/HT)

AAP members’ demand, which came immediately after the House proceedings began, got a quick retort from SAD-BJP legislators. Raising slogans and flashing placards and posters, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House, throwing it into chaos. The treasury benches remained a spectator.

The AAP and Lok Insaaf Party, its alliance partner, were pressing for an adjournment motion for a discussion on the audio clip controversy, whereas SAD-BJP MLAs began by raising the drugs issue and then switched to the issue of non-implementation of farm debt write-off, a Congress poll promise.

CM Capt Amarinder Singh slammed opposition MLAs for “wasting” public money and precious time of the House by disrupting the proceedings. The assembly passed a bill making it mandatory for all MLAs to declare their property details by January 1 every year