Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann moves confidence motion

CM Mann says it is easy to seek confidence, but difficult to maintain confidence of people. “It is thus that I am bringing in the confidence motion to show that people continue to have confidence in me,” he says.

Mann says, “Where is Charanjit Channi? He signed several files in the last days of his government. We don’t know what to do with these controversial decisions. I would like to ask him what to do. But he is missing. I wanted to ask the Congress MLAs, but they left.”

Mann says, “The Congress is hand-in-glove with the BJP. The Bharat Jodo yatra of the Congress does not touch Gujarat and Himachal, in order to give benefit to the BJP in the poll-bound states.”

He sums up the confidence motion, saying he is grateful for the love and support that his government is getting from the people.

CM Mann brings in the confidence motion. He says the House reposes faith in the council of ministers. Harpal Cheema seconds the proposal and recommends it be passed.

Speaker again adjourns the House for 15 minutes and asks the staff to comply with the orders of getting the Congress MLAs out. As marshals try to remove MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa, he objects. Finally, all Congress MLAs are led out of the House. After the session was adjourned by the Speaker and the Congress MLAs left the House on the persuasion of the Vidhan Sabha staff, the House witnessed poetry. “Hum to woh shayar hain jo waqt pade to talwar bhi utha lete hain,” said Malerkotla AAP MLA Mohammad Jamil ur Rehman.

Congress MLAs go back and sit on their seats as the marshals ask the Congress MLAs to leave. They are arguing with the marshals and refusing to leave.

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan orders that all Congress MLAs be sent out of the House. “I request them to go out. I order the marshals to lead the Congress MLAs out of the House,” says the Speaker. CM Mann recommends strict action against Congress MLAs. The House adjourned for 10 minutes. The Speaker asks the staff to clear the House in 10 minutes.

As there is complete pandemonium in the House for the past 25 minutes, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan warns that he would have to go strict. After resumption of the House, Congress MLAs led by Partap Bajwa continue to object to the debate on the confidence motion. Minister Aman Arora calls the Congress MLAs as B team of the BJP. Congress MLAs rush to the well of the House. Arora says nearly 200 Congress MLAs have already joined the BJP in different states. Congress MLAs move into the Well of the House, raising slogans against the treasury benches. CM Bhagwant Mann also calls the Congress MLAs as the B team of the BJP.

House adjourned for 15 minutes amid pandemonium after Congress objects to the confidence motion. They claim that there is no legal provision to bring in a confidence motion.

BJP starts mock session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha at Sector 37.

Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa says bringing in a confidence motion is challenging the powers of the Governor. “I condemn it on the floor of the House,” he says while addressing the House. Congress and SAD MLAs strongly oppose tabling of confidence motion by treasury benches.

Two BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan walk out of the House.