Akali Dal MLAs suspended for disrupting House proceedings
Pandemonium prevails in assembly when chief minister starts his speech on the governor’s address; House adjourned twice
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) members were on Friday suspended for the rest of the three days of the Punjab assembly’s ongoing budget session for “repeatedly disrupting” the House proceedings.
The suspension will be applicable to the 10 legislators present in the House on Friday and not on three of their party colleagues, including former chief minister Parksah Singh Badal, Lakhbir Singh Lodhi Nangal and Dilraj Singh Bhundar, who did not attend the proceedings.
A pandemonium-like situation prevailed when the Congress MLAs were also seen raising slogans against the Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying both parties had colluded to disrupt the CM’s speech. The Congress legislators also held placards of a gangster, who according to them, had links with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The proceedings resumed again with the CM starting his speech but only to face protest
SUSPENSION WILL BE APPLICABLE TO 10 LEGISLATORS PRESENT IN THE HOUSE TILL THE REST OF SESSION
by the Akalis as he slammed Sukhbir and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for their purported role in the formulation of the contentious farm laws citing purported letters they had written to him (Amarinder).
SAD legislator and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said, “When we speak against the Gandhi family, you say nothing will go on record since they are not in present the House. Now, you are casting aspersions on our leaders who are also not there. Moreover, these letters were written in June last year when these bills were not passed. These bills were passed even as the UPA had majority in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress did nothing to thwart these bills becoming laws.”
The Akali members again reached the well and started raising slogans against the Congress government.
On this, the speaker issued a warning to the opposition MLAs, asking them to take their seats or
face removal from the House.
He said, “To run the House is my dharma (duty). Disrupting the CM’s speech when you were given ample time to raise your points during the discussion is not justified. What are you trying to convey? You cannot stand for clarification on every line when the CM speaks.” He ensured that after the CM concluded his speech, the opposition members could ask for a reply on their issues one by one.
But the SAD MLAs did not relent and were suspended for the rest of the three days of the session. The speaker asked the marshals to remove the SAD members before adjourning the
House for 15 minutes.
The SAD members sat near the well but were removed forcibly. They even tried to enter the House when its functioning resumed but were not allowed to enter by the police. The marshals were seen taking away party MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu when he tried to enter the House. Later, the AAP members also staged a walkout from the House when the CM raised fingers at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for notifying one of the farm laws. Leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said Amarinder was misleading the House on the issue.