Govt scuttles law & order debate, Opp protests

Govt scuttles law & order debate, Opp protests

Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party led Punjab Government on Tuesday strategically managed to sidetrack a “debate” on the prevailing law and order situation in the state, but not without raising a storm in the Vidhan Sabha.

Even before the main opposition party — the Congress — could react effectively, the ruling benches managed to scuttle the discussion on the contentious issue within minutes after the question hour. The House was adjourned thrice with no “debate”.

The session was expected to be stormy with the Congress party already making clear its intentions to take the government head-on on the law and order issue. And, the party’s decision to raise voice of protest on the issue was not without a reason.

Since the previous assembly session in June, several incidents of lawlessness were splashed in the newspapers. Some of them involved Akali leaders and workers including the hateful incident of Punjab police cop’s killing in Amritsar while saving his daughter’s honour.

Just a day before, the Congress had demanded a debate on the “deteriorating” law and order situation by meeting the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, urging him to telecast it live, on the pattern of Lok Sabha. Even as Atwal gave his go-ahead, and even included the same in the list of business scheduled for the day, the debate could not take place on Tuesday — thanks to SAD-BJP’s calculative move.

After agreeing to conduct a debate on the law and order situation, the state government virtually backtracked on the floor of the House provoking protest by the agitated Opposition members protesting against delay in initiating the discussion on the law and order situation.

Soon after the question hour, Leader of the House and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal stood up to give an “explanation” on the issue of alleged misappropriation of Rs 40 crore funds from his discretionary quota in his home constituency, Muktsar.

Even as the “item” of Chief Minister’s statement was listed at serial number three in the scheduled business, the Leader of the Opposition Sunil Kumar Jakhar claimed that the same — “ITEM NO III” — was “omitted” by the Speaker and was communicated about the same via a “corrigendum”.
The corrigendum read that the ITEM No III be omitted and rest IV to VIII be “renumbered” accordingly.

To this, the Opposition objected tooth and nail; and protested forcing three adjournments — first for 15 minutes, second for and hour, and then for the day.

Confronting, the Opposition members started sloganeering interrupting the Chief Minister from going ahead with his statement. They even went to the well of the House demanding immediate discussion on the law and order situation.

Amidst din of anti-government slogans, the Opposition members continued with their protest even after repeated adjournments. They not only trooped into the well of the House, Congress legislators even tried to surge towards the podium of the Speaker only to be barricaded by the marshals.

Some of the legislators stooped to the acts of tearing the papers tabled in the House, snatching writing pads of the House reporters, and even some of them rose on the chair and shouted slogans paying no heed to the Speaker for restoration of order so that the listed business could be taken up.

Atwal’s repeated assertions that the Leader of the House could intervene or speak at any time on any issue altogether failed to convince the Opposition members. Also, the Chief Minister’s assurance that he would not say a word on the law and order did not go down well with the Opposition.

Even as the ruckus continued, the Speaker continued with the scheduled business, and went on to pass the Business Advisor Committees’ report besides five Bills by voice vote.