Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s one-day truncated session held amidst Covid-19 outbreak on Friday was no less action-packed and attention-grabbing than it used to be before the setting in of the new-normal regimen.
Attempts to bring about an order before the holding of the session led to a series of remarkable events, starting from appearance of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in PPE gear and the testing positive of two MLAs, one of whom attended the session and was seen interacting with his fellow legislators, including the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
Leaving nothing to chance, Punjab Speaker Rana KP Singh on late Thursday night had made it clear to the legislators, who have come in contact with their party colleagues tested positive for COVID-19, to stay away from the session.
With 30 legislators already tested positive for the contagion, including seven who are on road to recovery, the House on Friday witnessed about 45 percent attendance. In all, 52 members attended the proceedings — 42 from the Congress, six from AAP, two each from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) — that lasted for less than two hours.
The truncated session began with obituary references, and was adjourned for an hour after paying tributes to 28 personalities, including the Galwan bravehearts, COVID warriors, among others.
As the session resumed, the Speaker read out the decision of the Business Advisory Committee, stating that only important business shall be conducted, and the Question Hour, Call Attention Notice, and Zero Hour stand cancelled. To this, AAP MLAs, led by Sunam legislator Aman Arora, raised slogans in protest of not being heard. Arora also objected to the unnecessary harassment of the party MLAs in the name of COVID related safety measures.
Later, the House, in the absence of SAD members, passed a resolution against the Centre’s farm ordinances, besides seven Bills.
The one day session was convened amid the pandemic to fulfill the constitutional obligation of meeting within six months of the last session, concluded on March 4.
While SAD MLAs decided to stay away from the session after all members were among the high risk contacts of Nakodar MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, AAP MLAs, however, chose to attend the session in personal protective equipment kits despite being in close contacts of their three party MLAs afflicted by the virus.
The session was held amidst high safety protocols, including temperature checks, ensuring COVID-negative reports of all members including the Chief Minister and Ministers, seating arrangements, wearing of face masks inside the House, among other things.
Despite showing their COVID negative reports, three AAP legislators, including the Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, were not allowed in the House, who later staged a dharna.
A day before, the Chief Minister and Speaker had appealed to all legislators, who had come in contact with COVID-positive MLAs, to avoid attending the day-long assembly session.
However, the AAP legislators, whose three colleagues tested positive this week, decided to attend the session, ignoring their advice.
SAD legislature group, on the other hand, on Friday morning decided not to attend the session as its MLAs had come in contact with their colleague Wadala, who later tested positive. SAD legislature party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said the party was following Vidhan Sabha rules and COVID-19 guidelines.
TWO MORE MLAs TESTED POSITIVE
A wave of apprehension swept across the Vidhan Sabha as two more MLAs were tested positive on Friday, one of whom had attended the session and even interacted with the fellow members, including the Chief Minister. Congress’s two MLAs — Zira MLA Kulbir Singh Zira and Shutrana LA Nirmal Singh — were tested positive, taking the total number of lawmakers afflicted by the virus to 32. Among them, Zira had attended the Vidhan Sabha session, and was tested COVID positive after the session. On the other hand, Nirmal Singh was not allowed to attend the session after he was detected with fever. His tests were conducted and was tested positive for COVID.
POLICE DEPUTED OUTSIDE CHEEMA’S RESIDENCE
With the AAP declaring to attend the session ignoring the Vidhan Sabha secretary Shashi Lakhanpal Misra’s late night letter advising AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema and other AAP MLAs against attending the session.