After protests, walkout,10 Akali legislators suspended from Punjab Vidhan Sabha

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5

Ten SAD MLAs were today suspended from the Vidhan Sabha for the remaining duration of the Budget session for “repeatedly disrupting the proceedings of the House”.

The MLAs led by their legislative party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, disrupted the House proceedings on four occasions today, forcing Speaker Rana KP Singh to suspend them for the remaining session. The provocation for the suspension was the protest and walkout by the Akali MLAs when Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh named SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal for justifying farm laws when the Centre had initially brought the ordinances in this regard.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said both the Congress president and her son were absent from Parliament when the farm laws were passed. This led to chaos and all efforts by the Speaker to reason with the Akali MLAs failed, following which the Speaker suspended the MLAs.

They, however, chose not to leave the House. After the adjournment, the MLAs staged a sit-in inside the House. The marshals and watch and ward staff first pleaded with the MLAs to leave the House. Upon refusal of MLAs, they forcibly removed them.

MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu tried to enter the House again and was immediately dragged out by the staff.

The Akali MLAs had been repeatedly protesting in the well of the House, disrupting the CM from concluding the debate on Governor’s Address. They had also protested against the high power tariff and staged a walkout.

Later, AAP MLAs had a heated discussion with the members of the treasury benches, alleging connivance of the Congress with the Centre in shaping the three farm laws. They claimed that the CM was part of the group formed by the Niti Aayog, where the laws were first discussed.

Denying this, the CM said they had not been called for the first meeting. However, Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema said Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and a retired IAS officer had participated in the discussions.

Manpreet said they attended the second meeting, but had objected to the Bills. He tabled the minutes of both the meetings.

Oppn legislators interrupt cm during reply to guv’s address

When CM Capt Amarinder Singh began his reply to the Governor’s Address, AAP MLAs disrupted his speech. Akali MLAs also objected to the CM’s claim that civic polls were peaceful

Legislators from both parties stormed into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government. This had also forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.