The stand-off between the ruling SAD-BJP and the Opposition Congress in the Punjab Assembly continued on Tuesday with the Congress boycotting the House proceedings for the fifth consecutive day.
In the absence of the Opposition, the question hour lasted for just ten minutes, after which the House took up the financial business amid boycott by Congress MlAs.
No move towards rapprochement was made either by the Speaker or the treasury benches. Only after the question hour, the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal said, “I also want the Opposition to join the proceedings”. However, no efforts were made.
The treasury benches, on the other hand, spent hours in discussing over the already spent amount of Rs9809 crores on 25 supplementary grants.
Congress plans no-confidence motion against Speaker. On the other hand, Congress is planning ways and means to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal.
However, it is yet to decide the day. “We are looking into the legal and constitutional aspects of the matter,” leader of Congress legislature Party (ClP) Sunil Kumar Jakhar said.
Jakhar, also the leader of the Opposition, made it clear, “Once the motion is moved, it has precedence over any proceedings of the House that follows...We will see whether we want to interrupt the budget.”
“Subsequent to the motion, the Speaker has to leave his chair right away. And someone else or the deputy speaker will occupy the chair. Then a debate of two hours is mandatory. Even if it is rejected afterwards…we would put forth our point that we want to raise,” said MlA Kuljit Singh Nagra, accompanying Jakhar.
“Speaker cannot preside over the House which has expressed its no-confidence in him…Speaker has become tool in the hands of the Punjab government so we have no faith in him. He is doing what he has been told to, and asked to do,” added Jakhar.
Jakhar held the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Speaker Atwal responsible for the current stalemate in the Assembly.
He added that all the efforts by the Speaker to end the logjam in the Assembly failed because “the Speaker is working under the influence and pressure of the Government”.
Jakhar ruled out any possibility of tendering an apology as demanded by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Congress' mock Assembly
Out of the Assembly, Congress now wants the ruling SAD to apologise for the “turban-tossing” incident that happened almost three decades ago.
The decision to seek an apology from Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for allegedly tossing the turban of the then Speaker Surjeet Singh Minhas in 1986 during a ruckus inside the House came during the “parallel” Assembly of Congress on Tuesday.
The party held its “mock session” in the parking area of the Assembly complex to protest suspension of its nine MlAs.
During the mock Assembly, Congress MlAs, while referring to media reports, demanded an apology from Badal for allegedly attacking the Speaker in 1986 during SAD’s regime.
Congress session's mock Speaker Jagmohan Singh Kang went on to constitute a three-member committee to probe Badal’s role in 1986.
He has, in fact, asked the Committee to submit its report by Wednesday on what action could be taken against Cheif Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Ridiculing the Chief Minister’s claim of taking up the turban issue with the French authorities who imposed a ban on wearing Sikh’s symbol in schools, the leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Jakhar questioned, “Will Badal apologize for what he did in 1986IJ”
The “Congress’ Assembly” also passed a resolution demanding an apology from the Chief Minister for “throwing” the Opposition members outside the House.
Speaking at the mock session, Batala MlA Ashwani Sekhri said, “What Congress did is correct and under no circumstances we will tender an apology.”
The Congress MlAs also castigated the ruling Akalis for their “partisan” role towards media by allowing selective private channel to cover proceedings of the House.
Congress MlAs Sham Sunder Arora, Parminder Singh Pinki, Brahm Mohindra, Balbir Singh Sidhu also expressed their opposition on State Government’s move of imposing property tax.
Punjab Appropriation Bill, 2013, passed
Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Appropriation Bill, 2013, authorising the payment and appropriation of Rs98,08,29,58,000 out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Punjab for various services and purposes of the financial year 2012-13.
The bill was presented by Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and declared carried by Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal in the absence of Opposition Congress in the House.
Sukhbir condemns Congress’ ‘anti-democratic attitude’
Condemning the anti-democratic attitude of the Congress in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said that never in the history of Vidhan Sabha, people have witnessed such kind of violent behaviour by the Opposition party that has brought disgrace to the highest institution of democracy.
“The people, who have elected Congress MlAs, are feeling dismayed that instead of raising their issues in the Vidhan Sabha, for which they have been elected, they have resorted to street shows,” said Sukhbir.