The attack launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and lok Insaaf Party (lIP) on the opening day of Punjab Vidhan Sabha's winter session boomeranged on the last day on Wednesday.

AAP-lIP combine thought it had enough ammunition to take on ruling Congress and also the SAD-BJP, for “conspiring” against their leader of Opposition Sukhpal Khaira. But as the session came to an end, the allies found themselves pushed on the back foot with the House passing a resolution against them. 

Parliamentary Minister Brahm Mohindra stunned, not only Khaira and his party colleagues, but also many of the Congress MlAs too, when he moved a resolution condemning lIP MlAs Simarjit Bains and Balwinder Bains’ move to release the audio clip alleging “wrongful involvement” of a Judge “clearly for political purpose and vested motives”. 

The resolution, about which even the Speaker Rana KP Singh was not aware till it was moved, urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo-motu cognizance of the incident and take further action as required.   For this, the ruling Congress and its arch rival SAD-BJP combine were together.

AAP-lIP MlAs protest, and repeated demand for a thorough debate on the same were overlooked by the Speaker Rana KP Singh as he continued with the procedure to pass the resolution. AAP staged a walkout.

AAP termed it a “murder of democracy”, while the Congress justified its move claiming that their action was an “attempt to malign the judiciary with the help of a fabricated audio tape”.

Interestingly, the resolution came a day after the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh claimed that the law would take its own course in both the cases (referring to drug charges against Khaira and SAD’s Bikram Majithia) with “no government interference”.

lIP MlAs and brother duo — Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Bains (popularly known as Bains Bothers) — had come to Khaira’s rescue in 2015 drug case by releasing an audio clip strategically hours before the session was to begin on Monday.

The clip hinted at an attempt made by “someone” to “influence the judiciary” to procure an adverse order against Khaira who had moved a review petition in the High Court against summons issued against him by Fazilka local court in a drug related matter.

Khaira, a day before, demanded a CBI probe into the same mincing no words to name Chief Minister, his Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh and SAD president Sukhbir Badal for laying a “trap” against him.

Notably, Khaira had also met the High Court Chief Justice to apprise him of the issue besides seeking his intervention to look into the same. “Chief Justice has assured me justice…Are you trying to obstruct justice in my case,” said Khaira.

Describing the resolution as a “malicious attempt” and “well-thought of conspiracy”, Khaira told the treasury benches that they should have supported him in the issue.

“You can kill me, hang me, shoot me if I am involved,” said shaken Khaira adding that nothing could be more regretful that this. He charge the ruling party for “playing very dirty games”.

Mohindra, justifying the resolution, stated that he was only trying to plead Khaira’s case asking the Chief Justice to look into it.

AAP MlA Kanwar Sandhu too dubbed the resolution as “mischievous” questioning how can it be passed without any debate. Bains Brothers too demanded to provide the copy of resolution seeking “chance” to clarify their position. The Speaker paid no heed.

The resolution said,“The House urges the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take

suo-moto notice or cognizance of this incident and further action as required as the scandalous allegations amounts to nothing short of impairing the majesty of law, obstructing the administration of justice and lowering the image and dignity of the Court and its Judges in the eyes of public at large,” it added.

ClIP SEEMED TO BE CONCOCTED TO DEFAME JUDICIARY: CAPT

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that the audio clip, released by Bains Brothers, seemed to be “concocted to defame the judiciary”.  “That’s why we moved the resolution,” he said after the winter session was over.

 At the same time, Capt Amarinder also urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the incident and initiate suitable action against the culprits.

“Any attempt to cast aspersions on the judiciary would be rejected by the people. The defence services and the judiciary are the two institutions in which the people had complete faith and any effort to denigrate them was intolerable,” he said. He said that it was obvious that AAP had got the controversial tape, which alleged that the judge was “influenced and bribed”, maliciously created and released through their allies, the Bains brothers, to divert attention from the grave charges against Khaira. “Had AAP been serious about raising its concerns, or had there been even an iota of authenticity in the said tape, they would have gone to the Chief Justice before releasing the same,” he said.