The no confidence motion moved by the Congress against the ruling SAD-BJP combine fell through amidst commotion and a voice vote called by Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal.
The day ended with the Opposition members throwing papers at the Chair and accusing the Treasury Benches of shying away from debate.
The debate on the no-confidence motion, started on a stormy note, when the leader of Opposition, expressed his disagreement on Speaker allocating just 42 minutes to Congress to address the House on their motion.
Atwal initially had allowed two hours for the debate on the no-confidence motion, but Channi, annoyed with the time allocation, refused to speak on the motion, demanding more time for his party. On continues persistence of the opposition, the Speaker increased the debate time to three hours and assured the opposition that they will be allowed to speak for one and a half hour.
Initiating his debate, Channi attacked the ruling family, accusing it of corrupting the whole system, and grabbing all the businesses in the State. Just minutes after Channi had started his address, Congress legislators objected to the wearing of ‘Akali badge’ by the Akali MlA Iqbal Singh Jhundan, while he was chairing the house.
Congress members rushed to the well of the House, demanding removal of badge by the person, who was presiding the house. Congress members Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Tarlochan Singh even tried to break the cordon of watch and ward staff to reach up to the Speaker’s chair. Warring even roughed up the watch and ward staff and threw a cloth towards the seat, while Congress members raised slogans against Jhundan.
The house came to order, as Speaker Atwal resumed his chair after a few minutes. As Channi started his address again, the members from treasury benches, took exception to his use of derogatory words against the ruling family. Channi claimed that he had used couplets from the Gurbani and he was not going to withdraw from what he has said.
The members of treasury benches stuck to their demand of Channi seeking an apology for his ‘unparliamentary words’. During the commotion, the Speaker once again left his seat for a few seconds and the house continued to be in disruption all the while.
Meanwhile, Akali MlA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, chaired the house and kept wearing the Akali badge, to which Congress legislators had objected to earlier. Wadala refusing to take off the badge said, “Tomorrow you will ask remove your blue colour turban. I will not remove the badge. Don’t be mistaken. I am impartial.”
later as the Speaker Atwal came back to his chair and saw the persistent logjam, he initiated the process of voice voting on the no confidence motion which was defeated.