‘COOK’ OF THE DAY
Power and irrigation minister Rana Gurjit Singh loves to host people and remind them of his “kind” gesture. When AAP MLA Baljinder Kaur said he was not giving them audience over irrigation issues, the minister told her he had invited leader of opposition HS Phoolka for lunch when the latter had called up. An angry Phoolka stood up to say that he wanted to meet the minister with his delegation of MLAs for some work and not lunch. But Rana never misses the chance to “cook” up a controversy, be it lunch invites or sand mining contracts awarded to a man who reportedly worked as his cook.
Barb of the day
This came from none other than CM Capt Amarinder Singh who got up to express his “sadness” at the questioning of Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia by the CBI on Friday. “I just read the news. I am deeply pained by it,” he told AAP leaders. But the smile on his face and that of his cabinet colleagues and the speaker betrayed their emotions.
Slip of the day
Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka kept quoting Rs 1,026 crore as the amount Congress government made from sand mine auctions. The figure had actually reduced to Rs 300 crore as bidders defaulted. But Verka was trying to show that the government coffers swelled. So did his numbers.
Lost in tenses
Congress MLA Balbir Sidhu referred to former CM Parkash Singh Badal as the CM and the previous government as the incumbent one quite a few times. A Congress MLA referred to former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa as the FM leaving Manpreet Badal blushing.
MLA of the day
The crown goes to soft-spoken Akali Dal MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala. He started his speech by saying both the opposition and treasury benches should stick to debating issues in the governor’s address. He then reminded the speaker that there should be no pick-and-choose policy. “During the last government, leader of opposition Charanjit Singh Channi had uploaded a video of his speech from the House. Why has Sukhpal Khaira been suspended for a similar act?” he asked.
Man of the match
Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was patted by the CM and hugged by ministers and MLAs after his speech. Known for his histronics, Warring had become a “selfie sensation” during the sit-in of Congress MLAs when in opposition. This time, some Congress MLAs quipped, his speech could well bag him a berth in the cabinet.
Pairs of the day
Every party has its pairs. Congress is no exception. They may seem like competitors but ministers Navjot Sidhu and Manpreet Badal held a joint briefing at the press gallery and later entered the session together. They sit next to each other and appear friendly. The other pair is of Rana Gurjit Singh and Kushaldeep Dhillon. What’s common? You will have to dig deeper to know!
Flight of the day
Congress MLA Balbir Sidhu referred to a former Akali minister whose department allegedly sold fake pesticide for cotton crop. When the Akalis objected, Sidhu said, “I said Tota (a bird) not Tota Singh!” Sidhu had more in his kitty. Mocking Sukhbir Badal’s bus terminal project at SAS Nagar that boasts of a helipad, he said, “No bus comes there. Those who want to board a bus, take the helicopter!”