Chandigarh: Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira was suspended from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for the remainder of the ongoing session on Friday. The action came after Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema moved a resolution over alleged obstruction of House proceedings and the use of objectionable language.
The suspension led to a fresh confrontation between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress. Congress legislators later walked out of the Assembly and announced a boycott of the proceedings.
During the debate, Cheema targeted the Congress over its record on violence in Punjab and the state’s drug problem. He accused the party of failing to control drug abuse when it was in power.
Cheema referred to the period between 1980 and 1995, alleging that Congress leaders were responsible for violence during those years. He also questioned the party’s criticism of the present government’s handling of the drug crisis.
The Finance Minister further recalled the Congress government’s promise to eliminate drugs within four weeks. He said the previous government had failed to deliver on that commitment. Cheema also accused the Akali Dal and the BJP of introducing drugs into Punjab, a charge made during his attack on the Opposition.
Congress Accuses Mann Government Over Drug Deaths
Outside the Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to tackle drug-related deaths. He referred to the death of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and said his postmortem had not yet been conducted.
Bajwa alleged that the state government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann were responsible for the situation because the administration had failed to act against the drug menace. He also questioned Mann’s absence from the Assembly for the second consecutive day.
The Congress leader said the party had decided to boycott the House because, in his view, the government was not ready to address Punjab’s drug problem. He also raised allegations involving Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and another minister, referring to purported dying declarations in separate cases.
These allegations were made by the Opposition and have not been established as findings of guilt.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh also criticised the government, accusing it of administrative failure. He questioned the AAP’s use of Bhagat Singh’s legacy and said the government had failed to take a firm stand on issues affecting Punjab.
Bhagwant Mann Hits Back at Congress
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the Congress for walking out of the Assembly. He said the party had demanded that the House be convened but was now refusing to take part in the discussion.
Mann argued that the Opposition should remain in the Assembly and raise questions rather than boycott proceedings. He said debate and answers were necessary for the democratic process.
The suspension of Khaira and the Congress walkout added to the political confrontation in the Punjab Assembly, with both sides trading accusations over the drug crisis and their records in government.