Congress boycotts address, walks out - CLP leader Jakhar leads delegation of party lEGISLATORS to Governor, seeks dismissal of Ministers

Tuesday, 04/03/2014

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=96205&boxid=58210&uid=&dat=2014-03-04

Chandigarh : The main Opposition Congress on Monday boycotted the Governor’s address to the state legislature and staged a “slogan-shouting” walkout to mark its protest against “continuation of Ministers allegedly named in the multi-crore drugs racket”.

No sooner did Governor Shivraj Vishwanath Patil stand to address the inaugural meeting of the budget session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, than Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar got up and lodged his party’s “pre-planned” protest.

“I get up with a very heavy heart to interrupt your address... but the issue is of great importance as it pertains to the future of Punjabi youth, which is at stake. People named in the drugs racket continue as Ministers in far great disrespect to your authority as compared to our protest,” said Jakhar, while announcing to boycott the proceedings and walk out as a mark of protest against continuation of such Ministers.

With this, all 35 Congress legislators, including former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, left their seats and walked out of the House while renting the air with the slogans against those involved in the drugs trafficking racket. “Nashyan de saudagar murdabad...” shouted the young Opposition MLAs even as the Governor began his speech.

Later, Jakhar led a delegation of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) to meet the Governor at Punjab Raj Bhawan here in the evening.

“We seek to draw your kind attention towards some pressing issues, which need your urgent intervention to safeguard the constitutional and legislative propriety, which is being undermined by the Akali-BJP government in the state,” the CLP leader said in the memorandum submitted to Patil.

The Congress leaders said the issue of drugs was raging large in the state and was threatening the very foundation of the future of this state.

Referring to the statements of notorious drug lord Jagdish Singh alias Bhola, who had reportedly named a Cabinet Minister and son of another Minister for their alleged involvement in the drugs racket, the delegation said, “Due to the magnitude of power wielded by the Ministers, their continuing to hold office would enable them to influence the outcome of any inquiry.”

Requesting to remove these Ministers from office till the time the truth was established through an impartial probe so that no undue influence may be cast upon the probing agencies, the Congress leaders also drew the Governor’s attention to the issue of alleged bogus votes involving Local Government Minister Anil Joshi.

“He has been found to have made bogus votes in his own name and that of his family members in gross criminal violation of the People’s Representation Act, resulting in the registration of a complaint against him on the directions of the Election Commission of India. Propriety demands that the Minister should have resigned immediately. We request you to have the Minister removed from office without any delay,” they demanded.

However, Joshi and other Ministers targeted by the Opposition have already denied the charges as “totally false and baseless”.

The delegation also raised the issue of unemployment, which it said had reached alarming proportions in the state, with the industry fleeing due to lack of infrastructure. “Agriculture sector is already under huge stress. Due to financial mismanagement of the SAD-BJP government, the state is facing bankruptcy to the extent that the government is not able to pay salaries to its employees for months altogether. In the present scenario, the youth has lost all hopes to find gainful employment under this government. Our concern is that if the drug trade is not stopped, this energetic youth will be susceptible to be lured into this drug trade,” submitted Jakhar, while urging the Governor to take all possible measures so that this menace can be eradicated by ensuring zero tolerance towards the drugs trade.