Cong promises peace in House to Badal

Tuesday, 12/03/2013

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=64227&boxid=58597&uid=&dat=2013-03-12

Chandigarh : With the statesman politician Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal prevailing once again through his age-old style of politeness and humbleness, the exchange of alleged expletives between a Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and a sitting Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh that marred the proceedings of the last Assembly session is all set to die down.

Announcing that his party legislators will participate in the Budget session, which began on Monday, and allow the House to function in a graceful and democratic manner, the leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar told reporters that Congress was prepared for an ‘amicable resolution’ to the incident.

“My idea is to resolve the issue before March 13,” Jakhar said in an interaction after the conclusion of opening day proceedings. He said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh were closeted in a meeting in the Speaker’s chamber before the beginning of Budget session this morning..

“Nobody accepted or refused whether they hurled abusives at each other or not”, he clarified. Sources said settlement was reached between Majithia and Singh. Besides, Majithia and the Congress MLA hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries in presence of Badal and others in the Speaker’s chamber, they said.

A day after new Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa asserted that the issue had not died down, Jakhar said, “Badal’s approach on the issue was very positive.” “The idea of Congress is not to hamper the proceedings of the House. We want the House must proceed in a dignified manner. We will participate in the proceedings,” Jakhar said opposing his earlier stand that the opposition would not allow the proceedings of the assembly till Majithia resigns as cabinet minister for his behaviour. The last Assembly session of the Punjab government was adjourned on an acrimonious note with opposition Congress accusing ruling Akalis minister Majithia for allegedly hurling abuses at Rana during the session.

Later, the ‘expletives’ allegedly hurled by Majithia also went viral.

Meanwhile, Jakhar alleged that the state government had been ‘coercing opposition members for raising their voices against law and order problem in the Akali regime.