SAD boycotts debate on sacrilege panel report, holds mock session
Say speaker’s act of not allotting enough time reminiscent of Emergency
PROTESTING MLAS RAISE SLOGANS AGAINST THE SPEAKER, STORM WELL OF THE HOUSE; FLING PHOTOCOPIES OF THE RANJIT PANEL REPORT IN THE AIR BEFORE WALKING OUT
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday boycotted the debate on the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report on sacrilege on the last day of the monsoon session of the assembly, saying the 14-minute slot allotted to their MLAS to speak on the issue was too less.
When speaker Rana KP Singh allotted time to them, SAD legislators raised slogans and stormed the well of the House. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who led the party MLAS raising slogans against the speaker, said 14 minutes were inadequate for the purpose as the panel report has mainly focused on the previous government.
The speaker said the time was allotted according to the Akali Dal’s strength (number of MLAS) in the House and he was ready to increase their time but he will have to do it proportionately for others also.
In the two-hour slot for the debate, the speaker citing the rulebook gave 1 hour 20 minutes to the Congress, 21 minutes to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 14 minutes to SAD, 3 minutes to BJP and 2 minutes to the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP)
Raising slogans, the Akali MLAS created ruckus and did not relent even after the speaker assured them that sufficient time will be given to everyone to participate in the discussion. But the protesting MLAS flung photocopies of the report in the air and walked out.
DRAMA OUTSIDE HOUSE
The SAD legislators held a mock session outside the assembly to
debate the commission report making Batala MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal the speaker