By IANS,
Chandigarh : Stalemate continued between the government and opposition in the Punjab assembly Thursday over the suspension of a Congress legislator following an acrimonious and abusive spat between leaders of both sides.
While Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the Shiromani Akali Dal president, Thursday requested Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal to revoke the suspension of Congress member and millionaire industrialist Rana Gurjeet Singh, Punjab minister Madan Mohan Mittal said that he was pushed and manhandled by protesting Congress legislators outside the assembly hall.
Gurjeet Singh was suspended from the remainder session of the assembly Wednesday following a verbal spat with cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia as law and order in Punjab was being discussed. While Speaker Atwal suspended the Congress member, video footage of the house proceedings showed Majithia using abusive language clearly. No action was taken against Majithia.
To break the stalemate, Sukhbir Badal read a statement urging the speaker to call the opposition back to the house.
“I wish to request you to call our brothers and sisters from the opposition back to the house so that the important work of discussing the problems and issues of the people of our state could be resumed and finished,” he said.
He also urged for revoking the suspension of Gurjeet Singh saying that Wednesday’s incident was a “sorry chapter” in democratic traditions.
Following this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mittal was sent to talk to protesting Congress legislators outside to pacify them. As he was talking to them, Mittal alleged that he was pushed and manhandled. He said that he fell on the ground during this.
Later, the assembly condemned the incident involving Mittal.
As the stalemate continued, Congress legislators shifted their protest to Sector 17, Chandigarh’s commercial hub, where TV screens were put up showing Majithia using abusive and unparliamentary language.
Speaker Atwal Thursday issued notices to electronic and print media not to telecast or print any part of the assembly proceedings of Wednesday which were expunged from the record. He said that doing this will amount to breach of privilege of the house.