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On the opening day of the Punjab Assembly's budget session on Friday, Congress MLAs staged a dramatic walkout in protest against the alleged assault of an army colonel and the detention of farmer leaders. 

The legislators, wearing black armbands, demonstrated their discontent by raising slogans and displaying placards criticising the state government.

The protest erupted while Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was delivering his address to the House. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa interrupted the proceedings, rising from his seat to highlight two major issues—the alleged assault of an army colonel and his son in Patiala, and the recent detention of farmer leaders by Punjab Police.

The governor momentarily paused in response to Bajwa’s intervention but then continued with his address. However, the disruption escalated as Congress MLAs stood up in unison and moved towards the Well of the House, shouting slogans against the ruling government. 

#WATCH | Chandigarh: State Congress MLAs including LoP Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa and other leaders protest against the Punjab government on the issue of removal of farmers from the Punjab-Haryana Khanauri Border and Shambhu Border and other issues. pic.twitter.com/zlY0cEiWCQ

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

The legislators carried placards condemning the state’s handling of the farmers’ protest and the treatment of the detained leaders.

 

Also Read: Traffic resumes at Shambhu border, Khanauri set to open

The controversy stemmed from an incident involving Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who accused 12 police personnel of physically assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute in Patiala during the intervening night of March 13 and 14. The case has drawn significant public attention and criticism.

Adding to the tension, Punjab Police had detained several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, in Mohali on Wednesday. Their detention occurred as they were returning from a crucial meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh. 

The move has sparked outrage among opposition parties and farmer unions, who view it as an attempt to suppress dissent.

The Congress MLAs’ walkout underscores growing tensions between the opposition and the Punjab government, with key issues of law enforcement, governance, and farmers' rights at the center of the dispute.

 

Also Read: Punjab Assembly begins with Oppn protests over debt, farmers