The second day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s monsoon session turned out to be stormy with allegations and counter-allegations blowing between the SAD-BJP combine and the ruling Congress over the issues of Congress’ “hand” in 1984 riots and the report on sacrilege cases.
Much before the tabling of Justice (retired) Ranjit Singh Commission report, SAD “sold” the copies of the report outside the Vidhan Sabha and demanded inquiry into “leak” of the report before its tabling in the House.
SAD also accused the Congress of “motivated” leak and making a “deliberate attempt” to malign its image through the report — which will be discussed in the House on Tuesday. Speaker Rana KP Singh has fixed two hours for the debate, while assuring the House to extend the time or if required the day, to discuss the report in detail.
On the other hand, Chief Minister clarified that in 1984 riots, only individual Congress leaders were involved and not the Congress party as a whole.
Taking on SAD president Sukhbir Badal and MlA Bikram Majithia for targeting the Congress on 1984 riot issue, Capt Amarinder said that it was he who toured Delhi at that time, while Sukhbir was in California and Majithia might be only eight.
“I am consistent on my stand since past 34 years and naming same Congress leaders all these years...I have named the people who were mentioned to him during my meeting with the affected people, and not out of any personal knowledge,” said Capt Amarinder while reacting to the issue raised by Majithia in connection with Congress national president Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement on 1984 riots.
“I was there when all this happened, I went to the camps and gurudwaras meeting affected people. The situation was bad. But, how old were you...you might be just eight then...What do you know about the issue,” asked Capt Amarinder while warning the Akalis against playing with the sentiments of the Sikhs on the sensitive matter as “per their convenience”.
He said that the people in the camps had named some individual Congress leaders, namely HKl Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar, Arjan Das and Dharamdas Shastri, which he had subsequently revealed to the public.
At the same time, the Chief Minister also brushed aside SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s assertion regarding a sting operation of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, wherein he allegedly claimed that Rajiv Gandhi toured Delhi along with him. “Rajiv Gandhi was in Bengal at that time and he got the news of Indira Gandhi’s death when he was at Kolkatta airport by radio.
Sukhbir sought the Speaker’s permission to allow playing the video of Tytler’s sting operation inside the House, which fell on deaf ears.
SAD MlA also questioned the Chief Minister as in why the Congress appointed these leaders as Ministers or gave them tickets. “Till you are not found guilty, you are not,” said Capt Amarinder.
SAD leaders jumped into the well of the House, while AAP MlAs, led by renowned lawyer contesting riot-affected families cases HS Phoolka, stood up on their seats.
Repeating Sukhbir’s query regarding giving “accused” Congress leaders plum posts, Phoolka said that several inquiry reports have pointed that despite having availability of 5,000 army personnel in Delhi, they were not deployed which would have saved many innocents.
“Congress wanted to kill Sikhs,” he shouted.
Even as the SAD-BJP MlAs continued their protest in the well of the House, the Speaker went ahead with the proceedings. Congress MlAs too started shouting slogans against the SAD-BJP.
As the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra tabled the report by the Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Ranjit Singh, the SAD-BJP MlAs staged the walkout.
Mohindra later pointed the Speaker to expunge the names of the people who were not present in the House during the discussion, to which Phoolka raised serious objections.
Capt Amarinder said that there was no need to expunge the names as these members had been in public debate for the past 34 years, and had already been exposed in the public eye.
SAD DEMANDS INQUIRY INTO “lEAK”, CAPT DARES SUKHBIR TO JOIN DEBATE
Even as the SAD demanded an inquiry into the “leak” of “(in)Justice” Ranjit Singh Commission report, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder has dared the SAD president Sukhbir Badal to remain present during the debate over the sacrilege incidents, that had rocked the state during the SAD-BJP regime, scheduled for Tuesday.
Raising the issue, SAD MlA and former Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa said that the report is now available with everyone after a “motivated” leak to several Congress and AAP leaders, while pointing that the party had submitted a privilege motion on the issue.
Pointing at an alleged attempt to “target SAD”, Sukhbir alleged that radical Sikh leader Baljit Singh Daduwal met the Chief Minister at his residence the previous night. “He was seen sitting in his car which went inside the CM residence, but he now claimed that he was not in the car. We have his pictures,” said Sukhbir.
Dubbing it as “breach of CM security”, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra sought an inquiry.
Intervening, Capt Amarinder pointed that entire area is covered with CCTVs, and the Soeaker should order an inquiry into Sukhbir’s allegations. “If proved wrong, he should be taken to task for misleading the House,” he said.
Even as Sukhbir insisted that Daduwal admitted on the national media that he met CM, Capt Amarinder submitted that he even did not know who is Daduwal.
“I did not recognise him. The only time we were together was a day after Bargari firing incident when I visited the place and someone told me that Daduwal is here,” said Capt Amarinder.
Capt Amarinder said the Akalis were merely indulging in cheap gimmicks now to divert public attention from their misdeeds of 10 years, particularly the incidents of sacrilege which they had failed to check during their rule.
He challenged the Akali leaders to join the debate on Tuesday on the report and not run away from it, as they had been doing on key issues in the past.
SUKHBIR lIVING IN PAST, ClASH WITH SIDHU
Former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, it seems, is finding it tough to forget the comforts of SAD-BJP’s decade-long rule, and is still living in the past.
“Badal saab da ghar hi CM house hai,” said Sukhbir, much to the amusement of the treasury benches. Sukhbir was responding to the allegation of Congress MlA Navtej Singh Cheema who said that how many times Giani Gurbachan Singh had visited Badals’ house.
Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was quick to correct him, “you are just an MlA...you are MlA Jalalabad”.
Retorting, Sukhbir told Sidhu to have as many dreams of sitting on CM chair, but he would not get it as “they (pointing at Congress MlAs) don’t consider you as one of them...everyone calls you Rahul Gandhi da pithu”.
Sidhu then had war of words with Sukhbir, who ended up challenging him “not to run away” from debate. Sidhu’s arch rival Majithia wale duo to his seat and stared shouting slogans, who was later joined by other SAD MlAs. The Speaker then adjourned the House for 30 minutes.