A high drama was witnessed in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday after the Speaker Rana KP Singh suspended all the Shiromani Akali Dal MLAs after “naming” them for repeatedly interrupting the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s speech to conclude the discussion on the Governor’s Address’.
The pandemonium that ensued saw the protesting Akali legislators, except “rebel” Parminder Singh Dhindsa, being “named” by the Speaker on the grounds of “disrupting the House proceedings” and the Chief Minister’s speech.
The Speaker ordered the marshals to march all the “named” MLAs out of the House after they overlooked the Speaker’s repeated warnings even as he adjourned the proceedings twice to calm down the situation.
When the Chief Minister was replying to the Governor’s Address, the SAD legislators rushed to the well of the House and started shouting anti-government slogans right next to the Chief Minister’s seat, carrying placards.
To pacify the situation, the Speaker adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each. However, the Akalis continue to protest in the well of the House. As the Speaker’s repeated pleas and warnings fell on deaf ears, the Speaker first “named” all the members of the SAD, and suspended them for three days — that is remaining part of the budget session.
The Speaker then asked the watch and ward staff of the Assembly to remove them from the House. Refusing to leave the House, the Akali MLAs sat in the Well of the House and staged a protest.
The marshals were seen requesting the MLAs to leave the House, but the MLAs refused to move and continued to raise slogans.
With no other option, the watch and ward staff then had to forcibly remove them from the House. The marshals then had to lift the Akali MLAs and lead them out of the House.
As Akali MLA from Adampur Pawan Kumar Tinu tried to enter the House again, he was pushed by the police official.
SHOCKING & SHAMEFUL: CAPT
Amid continued ruckus and unruly behaviour by the SAD MLAs in the House, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed Akalis for their shocking conduct, including their shameful U-turn on the farm laws. Amid cries of ‘shame, shame’ from the treasury benches, the Chief Minister said both SAD president Sukhbir Badal and former Union Minister Harsimrat Badal had brazenly cheated the people of Punjab with their double-speak on the farm laws.
Pointing out that SAD president had initially accused his Government of misleading the farmers, and claimed that the farm laws were in favour of the farmers, the Chief Minister said that it was later that Sukhbir completely and shamelessly backtracked to oppose the legislations.
He also read out from an extract of a letter, dated June 25, 2020, in which Sukhbir had brazenly backed the farm laws, emphasizing that “there is nothing in these Ordinances which is either against the Federal structure or against the farmers”.
In case the Government is unclear on this, then as and when the Bill is presented in Parliament, we will, at that time, assure the farmers of the country about MSP and Procurement from inside the Parliament itself, Sukhbir had then stated in the said letter.
It was much later that the Akalis, when faced with the wrath of the farmers and the threat of political oblivion over the issue, decided to renege on their earlier stand, Captain Amarinder pointed out.
“Harsimrat had actually put out a video on Facebook categorically supporting the Farm Ordinances, which she called pro-farmer,” said the Chief Minister.