A special one-day Labour Day session of the Punjab Assembly descended into chaos on Friday after Opposition MLAs demanded an alcohol test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging he attended the House in a drunken state. Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan rejected the demand.
The controversy began when Mann objected to Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira allegedly using a mobile phone during proceedings. Khaira responded by referring to Mann’s wife sitting in the visitors’ gallery during an earlier session.
During the heated argument, Mann seemed to stammer and told Khaira, “She corrected herself. She is not a member of the House. You even target my daughter. Ae bakwas karda yeh banda (this guy is talking nonsense.”
As tempers flared, Khaira then accused Mann of arriving in the Assembly under the influence of alcohol, a charge supported by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. Bajwa demanded that all MLAs, including the Chief Minister, undergo an alcohol meter test to settle the matter.
The Shiromani Akali Dal also attacked Mann, releasing Assembly videos and alleging it was “shameful” for Mann to attend proceedings after consuming alcohol. The party further sought a public dope test to “bring out the truth.”
Responding to the uproar, Mann said the special session was meant to honour workers on Labour Day and urged members to maintain decorum. Amid the chaos, the Congress staged a walkout of the House. Later, the BJP and Akali Dal MLAs too walked out of the Assembly.
“The session began on a positive note for May Day, but Congress always finds excuses to walk out,” Mann said, taking a swipe at the Opposition.
The special session was convened by the ruling AAP to mark Labour Day and pay tribute to Punjab’s working class. The development came days after seven of the party’s Rajya Sabha MPs, including six from Punjab, resigned and joined the BJP.
The AAP government also moved a confidence motion in the Assembly and passed it unanimously. All 117 AAP MLAs were present, while the Congress, BJP and Akali Dal were absent from the House.
"BJP doesn’t have its own people. From where they will bring 117 people. I request this (Speaker) to pass this confidence motion unanimously. I will later take a copy of this confidence motion to the President," Mann said.
Source: India Today