Pandemonium witnessed in Punjab Assembly during special session

Chandigarh, May 1 (PTI) What began as an argument between the chief minister and a Congress MLA over the alleged use of mobile phone in the Punjab Assembly on Friday snowballed into pandemonium with opposition MLAs walking out and demanding alcometer test on all legislators. The speaker eventually adjourned the house amid the acrimonious scenes during the special session called on the International Workers’ Day. The altercation started when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on revision of wages in the state as Mann objected to the alleged use of mobile phone by opposition MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in the house.

After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy

on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.

The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.

Mann then asked Khaira, “Why don’t you go out and then use it (mobile phone),” which led to a quarrel during which the Bholath MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.

However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.

Amid the commotion, Mann even accused Khaira of speaking against his daughter.

The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.

Cheema further alleged that Khaira “always tries to disturb the house” as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.

Later, when Mann was exiting the house, Khaira got up and made a comment about the chief minister’s behaviour, prompting the speaker to intervene and say that nothing should be recorded without the permission of the chair.

After hearing the comment, meanwhile, Mann stopped and walked back. He took exception to the Congress legislator’s remark, triggering more heated exchanges between the treasury benches and Congress legislators.

At this point, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa voiced a demand for an alcometer test on all the legislators in the house, which led to further uproar.

The Congress MLAs rushed to the well of the house and raised slogans against the treasury benches, while the latter rallied behind Mann.

The speaker asked the opposition MLAs to sit back and not make any remark against any member of the house, warning that otherwise, he will “name” such a member. The Congress legislators walked out of the house as they continued sloganeering.

When the proceedings resumed following lunch, Bajwa followed up on the party’s demand — of alcometer test — evoking criticism again from the treasury benches.

With tension escalating, the speaker told Bajwa that his demand was rejected, following which the leader of opposition, along with Congress MLAs, rushed again to the well of the house. They were followed by the treasury bench members who raised slogans against the opposition legislators.

The speaker banged his gavel to restore order in the house, but the treasury bench members and Congress MLAs continued sloganeering. Later, the speaker adjourned the house for 10 minutes amid the charged atmosphere.

Earlier in the day, after obituary references, Bajwa pointed out that the AAP government has summoned eight special sessions of the Vidhan Sabha in the past four years and questioned their utility.

Nothing has come out during the special sessions, Bajwa claimed and pressed for regular assembly sessions.

Responding to Bajwa’s claims, the chief minister said an anti-sacrilege bill was passed during the previous special session of the assembly.

The chaotic scenes in the Punjab Assembly were sparked as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond. He said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers’ Day.

“Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat,” the resolution read.

As per the resolution, “The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.

“On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged.” PTI CHS VSD PRK