Amid cold vibes, session begins with Badal’s debut, an ‘expose’
FIRST DAY FIRST SHOW Amarinder, Badal exchange glances but do not greet each other; on the matter of drug cases, chief minister avoids fireworks by not holding Cong legislative party meet
CHANDIGARH: Punjab’s youngest assemblysawthedebutofitsoldest member, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, on its opposition benches as the winter session got underway on Monday.
Therewerecoldvibesintheair as Badal and chief minister CaptainAmarinderSinghexchanged glancesbutnogreetings.Butnew warmth was visible between Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, his former revenue minister, as the latter was seen escorting him out of the House after the sitting ended.
There was some bonhomie between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too. ParliamentaryaffairsministerBrahm Mohindra walked to AAP benchestogreetafewandtheCM and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu too returned greetings of AAP MLAs.
The bonhomie between the AAP and Akali-BJP MLAs seen during the last session was missing. Former leader of opposition HS Phoolka was absent and the incumbent, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, is going to be the main target of the Akalis in the winter sessionowingtocourtsummons to him in a drug case.
But Khaira did not hesitate to shake hands with them as they left the House.
With the drug case against Khaira having set the tone of the three-day winter session, the main action was outside the assembly. AAP ally Lok Insaaf Party’s Simarjeet Singh Bains, Khaira’s staunchest supporter, released an audio clip claiming thecourtsummonswereacaseof “judicial bribery”.
Breaking with precedent, the CM did not convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) owing to dissenting voices within. But state chief Sunil Jakhar underlined the party’s dilemma on Khaira while addressing a press conference before the session began. “If we takeonKhaira,whynotMajithia (who was summoned by the enforcementdirectorateinadrug case),” he said. Sidhu, who was also present with Jakhar, promptlysecondedhimwithboth his hands up. And then it was over to Sidhuisms and his wellrehearsed punches on Majithia.
STYLESTATEMENT
Forachange,notjusttheCMand speakerRanaKPSingh,butphotographsofmanyministerswere sent by the public relations department to the media. And each had tried to make a winter style statement.
TechnicalEducationminister Charanjit Singh Channi had paired his white kurta pyjama withashawlandsleevelessjacket and finance minister Manpreet Badal looked suave in his beige coat.
Butthebestclickawardgoesto forestministerSadhuSinghDharamsot for his “swag” pose.
Yet, when it comes to colour coding, no one takes it more seriously than the AAP. Its MLA Aman Arora had paired a bright yellow kurta with yellow jacket and Baljinder Kaur came in an equally bright yellow suit.
› theysay We won polls promising that we will nail Majithia. Now we cannot go after Khaira without questioning Majithia’s involvement NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU, local › bodies minister They told me to take oath as MP in the assembly speaker’s chamber but I refused. I am not a pickpocket to take oath that way. SUNIL JAKHAR, Cong MP › from Gurdaspur Govt is trying to suppress voice of opposition that wanted to take up several issues, such as farm suicides, law & order, and mining. SUKHPAL KHAIRA, AAP, leader of opposition