Cong, SAD lock horns over law and order
Wednesday, 19/12/2012
http://punjabnewsline.com/news/Congress_-SAD-lock-horns-over-law-and-order.html
CHANDIGARH: Punjab assembly on Tuesday witnessed unprecedented scenes of chaos over the Congress opposition demand for an immediate discussion on the law and order situation in the state.
The state government said that it was ready for discussion on any issue under the Sun, including the law and order situation but first the chief minister Parkash Singh Badal would like to make a statement about the allegation of misuse of government funds in his constituency Lambi.
The chief minister and the deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal insisted that in the business advisory committee meeting held yesterday the opposition had agreed to the CM’s statement taking precedence over the debate on law and order. This was refuted by the leader of the opposition, Sunil Jakhar, who said that this was an attempt by the chief minister to preempt the discussion on law and order, which had become a cause of concern for every citizen of Punjab.
He said that it was clear that the state government was running away from a debate on the issue. This was a signal for all MLAs to stand in their seats and start shouting slogans against the government. They soon trooped into the well of the House and surged towards the podium of the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal.
Their way was blocked by the watch-and-ward staff of the House and in the ensuing melee, two women Congress members, Guriqbal Kaur and Harchand Kaur, sustained minor injuries. During the chaos in the House, the Speaker put to vote as many as five bills one after the other and declared them carried within a span of 17 minutes. Repeated pleas from the chair failed to restore order in the House forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House thrice for short durations. The House was finally adjourned at 1:15 pm till Wednesday, when it would reassemble at 10 am.
