A day after Congress MlA Ashwani Sekhri accused two of his party colleague of abusing and threatening him inside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha precincts, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators on Friday urged the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal to mete out exemplary punishment to the accused MlAs.
led by Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia, the SAD legislators from the Majha region categorically said that the abuse and insult met out to Batala Congress legislator Sekhri at the hands of his own party men was “not an internal matter of the Congress but a question of the very dignity of the House”.
The MlAs, including Virsa Singh Valtoha, Harmeet Singh, Manjit Singh Manna and Amarpal Singh Bony Ajanala, said that they would take the matter to its logical conclusion to ensure such an incident was never repeated again.
Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, on the last day of the Assembly’s monsoon session on Thursday, had raised the issue during zero hour which led to the “sensational implication” of two Congress MlAs — Sangat Singh Gilzian and Ramanjeet Singh Sikki — by Sekhri.
Soon after Sekhri revealed the names of the two MlAs, Speaker Atwal had referred the matter to the House’s privilege committee.
SAD MlAs, in a joint statement, said: “Everyone witnessed on Thursday how Sekhri, who feared for his physical safety at the hands of his own colleagues, was first even afraid to disclose the names of the perpetrators of this ghastly act.”
“Had one of them not brought the matter to the attention of the House, it could have led to an alarming situation and even resulted in a physical attack on Sekhri as was being feared by him. The two Congress MlAs who had made Sekhri fear for his life, had acted like goons. They should be proceeded against immediately to restore Sekhri’s lost dignity,” they demanded.
Meanwhile, the legislators made it clear that they had risen to defend Sekhri and demand action against the two MlAs who had threatened and misbehaved with him “only to show common cause with their Majha brethren”.
“We were ashamed to see a faction of Congress MlAs laughing and taunting Sekhri when the latter was telling his harrowing tale of physical intimidation to the House. We cannot see our fellow MlA being ridiculed in such a manner,” they added.
SAD legislators maintained that they were ready to give evidence of entire sequence of events before a privilege committee so that strict action can be taken against the two MlAs who not only insulted their own colleague but also insulted the Vidhan Sabha.