Mining: Ruling party on back foot

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

Allegations of complicity of a Congress minister and party MLAs in illegal mining rocked the post-lunch session of the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday.

Congress MLAs Kushaldeep Dhillon, Gurkirat Kotli and Vijay Inder Singla took exception to Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjit Bains’ bid to name a relative of the Speaker in connection with unauthorised mining. They accused him of speaking against the “custodian of the House”.

A few minutes after Simarjit and fellow LIP MLA Balwinder Bains staged a walkout, an audio clip of their statement against the Speaker on the floor of the House went viral. Action could be initiated against the duo for allegedly posting expunged remarks on social media.

As soon as the session began, Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Khaira sought a reply from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on action taken regarding the mining sites recently spotted by him while flying to Kartarpur.

As the CM left when Khaira started speaking, minister Brahm Mohindra informed the House that a Cabinet sub-committee on illegal mining was in the process of preparing its report. When NK Sharma (SAD) stood up to speak on the Governor’s Address, Balbir Sidhu (Congress) accused him of being a “defaulter of the state government”. Sharma alleged that Sidhu had stakes in the mining business.

The four-and-a-half-hour-long session saw an “issue-based” understanding between the Congress and Khaira on targeting the SAD over its 10-year misrule. At least 12 AAP MLAs and five SAD legislators spoke on the Governor’s Address.