SAD sans Badals, AAP sans ammo, Cong on offensive
CHANDIGARH: Offence is the best form of defence, they say. Emboldened by a divided opposition, the Congress government was able to outwit its rivals by going on the offensive during the debate on the governor's address on Friday.
The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance had harped on a farm debt waiver, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the sand mine auction controversy, on the first two days of the budget session. On the third day. the AAP scored a self-goal when its senior MLA Sukhpal Khaira uploaded a Facebook live video of unruly scenes in the house between Akali Dal and Congress MLAs. He was suspended for the rest of the session, leaving AAP with little firepower. Its ally Lok Insaaf Party’s Simarjeet Bains was already suspended on Thursday for the session by speaker Rana KP Singh.
The elder Bains brother, Balwinder, sat on the floor next to his chair throughout the day’s proceedings, as a mark of protest. The AAP, however, did not boycott the debate following Khaira’s suspension, though its MLA Kanwar Sandhu asked the speaker to allow Khaira to attend the session till the Privileges Committee gave its report.
The SAD seemed rudderless with neither former CM Parkash Singh Badal, nor party president Sukhbir Badal, nor former minister Bikram Singh Majithia present during the debate. Former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa put up a meek defence to the tirade from treasury benches.
Congress’ Raj Kumar Verka moved the motion of thanks on the governor's address (made during the first session in March). In a speech with couplets and proverbs, Verka targeted the Badals and Majithia as “bhagore” (absconders) and asked the opposition how a minister (Rana Gurjit Singh) could be faulted “if someone he knows bought a mine worth lakhs for crores and enriched the state treasury!”
SAS Nagar MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, who seconded the motion, accused the previous SAD-BJP government of looting the state, of using the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for personal gains; and cited cases of corruption.
AAP ON DELAY IN LAW AAP MLA Aman Arora, also the party’s co-president for Punjab, questioned the delay in bringing the reforms mentioned in the governor’s address, such as a law to end monopoly over cable network, the delay in a new transport policy, and the alleged dilution of the proposed conflict-of-interest law.
“The CM has said that the law will only cover the CM and ministers, and not MLAs. Why should the MLAs not be unseated if the are found guilty of conflict of interest?” he said. He also took a dig at finance minister Manpreet Badal for saying their government cannot end “mafia raj” in the first year.
From the SAD, Nakodar MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala alleged that Congress leaders were now acting as “halqa in-charges”. When reminded by treasury benches that the SAD had introduced the system, Wadala retorted, “Two wrongs do not make a right.” The CM intervened to say the halqa in-charge system of the Akalis had been disbanded and the Congress had no such precedent.
The BJP’s blink-and-you-miss presence in the House — two of its three MLAs were present — did not help matters for its ally. BJP legislator Som Parkash took on local bodies minister Navjot Sidhu’s allegations of misuse of funds of the department, giving Sidhu the opportunity to hammer him with his ‘Sidhuisms’. “"You were attached to the then local bodies minister (BJP’s Anil Joshi) when tubewells worth Rs 13 lakh were installed for Rs 27 lakh,” Sidhu said. For every intervention by SAD MLAs, Sidhu shot back with: “Tusi das saal sutte paye si (Were you sleeping for 10 years)?”
AAP legislator Gurmeet Singh ‘Meet’ Hayer questioned the heroin seizures claimed by the government. “The arrests show the average quantity of heroin seized is just a few grams. This proves the government is catching addicts, and the crocodiles are sitting safely in their havens.”
WARRING STRIKES, SPEAKER SMILES Embroiled in the sand mining row, the three-month-old government was able to tackle the opposition by a fiery speech of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who heaped praise on the CM and mimicked Sukhbir, Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, using drama and substance.
“Now I know why Captain is called babbar sher (lion) by Punjabis. Where is Sukhbir who thumped his chest and said he will rule Punjab for 25 years? And what happened to the ‘billa’... the ‘Proud to be Akali’ badges?”
He then trained his guns at AAP’s poll slogan, ‘Kejriwal, Kejriwal, sara Punjab tere naal (Kejriwal, the whole of Punjab is with you)’. “Where are the 100 seats that the AAP was winning? Now even a Delhi minister has levelled allegation of taking bribe against the CM (Kejriwal),” he said.
Leader of opposition HS Phoolka sprang to his feet along with other AAP MLAs at the mention of the Delhi CM’s name, saying that Kejriwal is not a part of the House. Amarinder could not help taking a jibe too. He got up to tell the AAP that the CBI has just now “raided” the premises of their deputy CM in Delhi.
Even the speaker seemed to allow Warring a lot of legroom. He defended Warring's naming Sukhbir, who too was not present in the House, saying he is a member and can defend himself later. On the mention of Kejriwal, who is not a member of the House, the speaker said one can use a name along with the word “allegation”. He could not hide his smile as Warring mocked and mimicked opposition leaders and Captain took a dig too.
Before ending his speech, Warring gave Rana Gurjit the “clean chit” by saying the government’s job is to see its coffers do not suffer. “Finding out the source of money of the bidders of sand mining is the job of the Enforcement Directorate and the income tax department. Our country’s law and Constitution say you cannot pronounce anyone guilty until he is proven guilty,” he said.
‘OUR MEMBERS WANTED SHARE TOO’
Pointing towards SAD legislator Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi, he said, “My brother from Muktsar made Rs 9.5 crore daily from sand mines out of Rs 10 crore of daily business. Many Congress MLAs wanted to get our share in the spoils, too, but Captain told us to have tea and then showed us the door,” Warring said.
Barkandi protested; Warring said, “I did not name anyone!”
Later, SAD MLA NK Sharma’s speech was interrupted by Congress MLAs, and the speaker asked the AAP MLAs to speak. The Congress strategy of divideand-rule paled the AAP’s strategy to allow more speakers and the SAD’s to have meek speakers.
The debate lasted three hours. It will formally conclude on Monday with the CM’s speech.