Congress party’s no-confidence motion against the ruling SAD-BJP Government was accepted by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal on Friday — a move welcomed by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The motion, moved by the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi, was also supported by the three independent MlAs. Even as the Speaker has accepted the motion against the Government, he is yet to allocate time for the debate on the same.
Soon as the motion was accepted, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal welcomed it saying that he was happy that this motion has been moved. “Now everything will be crystal clear,” said Badal, who was interrupted by the technical snag in the Assembly microphones.
On the other hand, the Speaker rejected the Congress’ ‘Breach of Privilege Motion’ against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Displeased, Congress leaders staged a strong protest against the refusal on the privilege motion.
Pandemonium prevailed when the senior Congress leader and Abohar MlA Sunil Jakhar, during the zero hour, insisted for consideration of his breach of privilege motion against Sukhbir “for his so-called false statements made in the House on rural development”.
As the Speaker refused to take the privilege motion, the Congress legislators entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the Government and the Speaker forcing him to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
Jakhar, later talking to media, accused Sukhbir of lying on the issue of providing water supply and sewerage facilities in the towns of Punjab.
“Deputy Chief Minister had claimed on the floor of the House in March this year that in next two-three months in 100 cities, the sewerage facilities and water supply would be provided. He had made similar statement in 2014,” pointed Jakhar while accusing the Akali regime of befooling people.
“The Government through advertisements in June this year claimed to have spent `35,263 crore under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Tansformation (AMRUT) scheme…But the State Government was allocated about `143 crore by the Centre before the advertisements were given…The Government has to be held responsible for its lies,” Jakhar said.