The deadlock over the seat allotment to the lok Insaaf Party (lIP) MlAs in Punjab Vidhan Sabha continued as both the Speaker and Aam Aadmi Party-lIP alliance stuck to their stands. The issue, which was already raised by the main Opposition in the Speaker’s chamber, on Wednesday created ruckus inside the House.
Pandemonium prevailed after the Speaker Rana KP Singh disallowed Simarjit Singh Bains, lIP MlA from Atam Nagar, to speak on the Vote-on-Account.
The Bains brothers — Simarjit and Balwinder Singh Bains — were sitting in the front row of the Opposition Benches along with the AAP legislators, but the seat allotted to them is vertically opposite as per the rules.
Speaker asked Simarjit to speak in the House only from the seat allotted to him. “Your point would not be recorded till you don’t speak from the seat allotted to you,” Speaker told Simarjit.
As the AAP-lIP members continued to raise their voice for not allowing them to speak in the House, Speaker kept on insisting that he would not listen to anyone if he or she is not speaking from the allotted seat.
War of words erupted between members of the ruling Congress and Opposition, with Congress Gidderbaha MlA Raja Amarinder Singh Warring plainly asking the Bains brothers to take the seats allotted to them as it was a “wrong” practice.
Seeing AAP-lIP members refusing to abide the Speaker’s appeal, Congress MlA from Guru Har Sahai Rana Gurmeet Sodhi sought action against the erring members for “disrespecting the House” as the seats allotment was done by the Speaker and not by the government.
Speaker insisted Bains brothers that they should resume their seats, but AAP MlAs stand in their solidarity with its Chief Whip Sukhpal Khaira contending that theirs was pre-poll alliance and they should be allowed to sit together to chalk out the “floor-strategy” and take “on-the-spot” decisions.
To support his contention, he cited an example of SAD-BJP who used to sit on Treasury benches together in the previous term.
leader of Opposition and AAP MlA HS Phoolka told the House that his party raised the issue a day before with the Speaker and he assured to reconsider the seat allotment from the next session, and for the current session, the two lIP members can sit anywhere on the Opposition benches.
“Why the Government is so afraid of the Bains brothers sitting with the AAP MlAsIJ” he asked repeatedly.
To this, the Speaker replied that he had also made it clear that if the Bains Brothers sit with AAP MlAs, they won’t be able to speak.
Congress’ Mohali MlA Balbir Singh Sidhu asked Phoolka that if they have so much love for them, “why don’t you merge them in your party…why they are considering them as a separate party and also claiming a separate office”.
Khaira questioned the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and ministers sitting in the front row why Bains Brothers could not sit with AAP.
Intervening, Warring requested the Speaker to allot him a seat with the Chief Minister as he has to discuss matter with him. “Mera mukhmantri hai,” he quipped.
As the Speaker stick to his stand rejecting the plea of AAP and lIP members to allow the Bains brothers to speak on the Finance Bill from the front row of the Opposition benches, they started protesting in the Well of the House shouting slogans against the Speaker.
Differences between Khaira and Phoolka surfaced as Khaira led AAP and lIP MlAs to protest, with the leader of Opposition continued to sit on his seat.
The Speaker, however, continued with the proceedings of House amid protest and after the passage of a Bill, he adjourned the Assembly sine die.
Our voice muzzled: AAP
AAP MlA from Bholath Sukhpal Khaira on Wednesday alleged that their voice was muzzled in the current Assembly session, and the Speaker and the Congress government were partisan from the very beginning.
He said the party MlAs were forced to protest as the Bains brothers were not allowed to sit with the AAP MlAs, while the Speaker had allowed them to sit together a day before.
Khaira clarified that it was strategic decision to let the leader of Opposition HS Phoolka sitting on his seat and did not join the party MlAs as they moved to the well of the House to protest so that he can raise any issue and speak on behalf of the party.
AAP’s Kharar MlA Kanwar Sandhu said that the government should form a committee of MlAs which should decide the seating plan in the House. This committee should have members from all political parties, he added.
lIP MlA Simarjit Singh Bains said that the tradition of the House should be followed while allowing them to sit with the AAP MlAs. Phoolka added Speaker Rana KP Singh did not say on Tuesday that the Bains brothers would not be allowed to speak in the House if they sit with AAP MlAs.
AAP, lIP separate parties: Assembly
Punjab Vidhan Sabha rules says that the Aam Aadmi Party and the lok Insaaf Party are the two separate parties as the two fought elections on separate symbol, claiming separate offices for them, and they are not merged into one party.
Clarifying on the issue, Vidhan Sabha secretary Shashi Sharma told The Pioneer that the seating arrangement has to be in descending order of the seats every party gets. “AAP with 20 seats got the first three rows, followed by SAD, BJP and then lIP,” she added.
She maintained that we have to go by Election Commission’s notification and according to them AAP and lIP are two parties having separate poll symbol. “They are not merging with AAP, they have separate symbol, they also want to have separate office…then why they are saying that they want seats with them when they are altogether different from AAP,” she said.
On AAP’s contention that SAD and BJP MlAs used to sit together in previous regime, Sharma made it clear that it was party in power and have ministers from both parties. “In case of Opposition, it is not possible,” she added.