Mann dares Bajwa to persuade Rahul Gandhi and Sonia to cancel AAP’s LS seats
THE NEWS FREEDOM
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 4
Unruly scene prevailed in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday as Congress and AAP MLAs engaged in fiery exchanges. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s symbolic act of presenting a “lock and key” to the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, urging him to ensure the Opposition’s participation in ongoing discussions, stirred controversy.
Opposition MLAs, led by Partap Singh Bajwa, vehemently opposed the notion of confinement, asserting their right to unrestricted participation. Nevertheless, Chief Minister Mann defended his gesture, emphasizing the necessity for all elected representatives to actively partake in legislative debates as mandated by the electorate.
Mann expressed anguish over the Opposition’s recurring tendency to walk out during critical sessions, notably during the Governor’s address, stressing the Speaker’s pivotal role as the guardian of the House. Despite reassurances from Bajwa that no such action would be taken, Mann persisted in his apprehension, leading to a heated confrontation between the two. The Speaker clarified that the lock gesture was symbolic, and intended to foster constructive discussions within the House.
Tensions escalated as Chief Minister Mann and Bajwa exchanged heated arguments over seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mann questioned Bajwa’s sway within the Congress party, challenging him to persuade senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to abstain from allocating Lok Sabha seats to AAP. He underscored his involvement in prior negotiations and questioned Bajwa’s role in similar discussions.
Heated arguments between AAP and Congress members, prompted the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes. Even after the adjournment, tensions remained high as AAP members approached the opposition benches in response to remarks made by Bajwa.
Later, addressing the media, Congress leader Bajwa reflected on the contentious exchange in the Punjab Assembly earlier in the day. He criticized the Chief Minister’s remarks, stating that derogatory comments were made. Bajwa also disclosed that the Chief Minister challenged him to contest against him in the elections, to which he responded affirmatively, pledging to stand against him wherever he contests in Punjab.
In another development, Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli expressed distress after an alleged derogatory remark by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Kotli confronted Mann about fulfilling the promise of appointing a Dalit Deputy CM, leading to a verbal altercation.