By IANS,
Chandigarh : The winter session of the Punjab assembly ended Friday even as moves by the government for a reconciliation with the opposition Congress over Wednesday’s suspension of a Congress legislator failed.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal intervened Friday to seek reconciliation with the Congress but his move failed. The assembly session was adjourned thrice by the speaker to allow time for the reconciliation. With no end to the stalemate between both sides in sight, the session ended.
Describing the incidents of the last two days as “unfortunate and undesirable,” Badal said that he tried his level best to placate the members of opposition and waited for them in the Speaker’s chamber but they did not turn up.
Badal said that he had failed to understand why the opposition was adopting “this irresponsible attitude”.
Congress legislator Rana Gurjeet Singh was suspended by assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal Wednesday after he (Rana) was involved in a verbal spat with Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
Howewver, the speaker failed to take any action against Majithia despite video footage clearly showing him hurling abuses and using unparliamentary language in the house during a discussion on the law and order situation in Punjab.
While the ruling Akali Dal demanded that Rana, a millionaire industrialist, should apologize to the house, the Congress demanded that action be taken against Majithia, brother-in-law of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The chief minister had Thursday urged the speaker to revoke the suspension of Rana in the “larger interest of democracy”.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal had also Thursday tried to pacify the Congress legislators, who were protesting in the assembly complex (outside the house) but said he was pushed and manhandled and fell on the ground.