The Punjab Assembly witnessed yet another stormy session today as chaos erupted, leading to a walkout by Congress legislators. The ruckus began after Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa allegedly made derogatory remarks against Padma Shri awardee Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, triggering strong protests from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members.
AAP MLA Aman Arora took a dig at Bajwa, stating that the Congress leader entered the Assembly for a brief period, made his statements, and walked out without engaging in the discussion. Arora criticized Bajwa for not listening to others and leaving the session abruptly.
The controversy escalated when AAP legislator Inderjit Kaur Mann objected to Bajwa’s language, calling it unacceptable. She demanded that Bajwa either apologize to the House or justify his choice of words. The heated exchange between Bajwa and Inderjit Kaur Mann further intensified the situation, leading to a verbal duel between the two leaders.
Adding to the condemnation, Punjab’s Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains expressed his anguish, stating that as a Punjabi, he too felt deeply hurt. He lauded Sant Seechewal’s contributions, emphasizing that the environmentalist had dedicated 16 years of his life to cleaning the 160-kilometer-long Kali Bein river. Bains recalled how former President APJ Abdul Kalam had once hailed the “Seechewal Model” as one of the best environmental initiatives in the country. Highlighting that Sant Seechewal is not affiliated with any political party but holds a significant position in the Assembly, Bains questioned whether Bajwa’s remarks were his personal opinion or reflected the stance of the entire Congress party.
Demanding strict action, Bains called for a condemnation resolution against Bajwa and insisted that he issue a public apology. As tensions escalated, Congress MLAs staged a walkout, raising slogans against the government. The intense uproar forced the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings for 15 minutes.
Addressing the media, Pratap Singh Bajwa defended himself, stating that he had come to the Assembly with a proposal urging the Indian government to confer the Bharat Ratna upon freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh. However, he alleged that he was not allowed to present the proposal in the House. Bajwa accused the Speaker of deliberately preventing him from speaking and claimed that a member was strategically asked to interrupt him as part of a larger conspiracy. He further alleged that the Speaker’s conduct reflected direct influence from Delhi and that the ruling party had collectively insulted the legacy of martyrs.
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Inputs for this report were sourced from the web, and this is a web-generated news article.
