The Punjab Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on the second day of its session on Friday over the October 13 murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
Congress legislators entered the well of the House wearing black scarves and raised slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party government. They demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and carried a poster titled ‘Laanat Patra’ (Letter of Shame), accusing the government of failing to address law and order, drug control and gangsterism.
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan appealed to the protesting members not to interrupt Question Hour. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other Congress MLAs, however, pressed the Chair to accept their letter. AAP members responded with counter-slogans, following which Sandhwan asked the legislators to return to their seats.
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema criticised the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He also targeted newly appointed Punjab Congress president and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh over his earlier association with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), alleging that the drug problem had taken root during the SAD’s tenure.
Congress members continued their protest and staged a walkout at 10.34am.
After the walkout, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira was suspended for the remainder of the session. Cheema moved the suspension resolution, accusing Khaira of using unparliamentary language against the Speaker, disregarding the Chair and disrupting proceedings during the protest over Jhota’s murder.
The resolution was passed in the absence of the Opposition.
The Punjab Assembly session began on Thursday and is scheduled to conclude on October 27.
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