The Punjab Government has decided to call a special Assembly session on September 27 and also to approach the Supreme Court against Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s decision to withdraw the order of summoning a session on September 22 during which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wanted to bring a ‘confidence motion’.
The Opposition parties launched an offensive against the AAP, a day after Governor’s decision. The AAP MLAs, on the other hand, held a ‘march’ from the State Assembly complex towards the Governor’s house, protesting against the cancellation of the special Assembly session.
The ruling AAP had announced to convene the special session of the Assembly on September 22 to bring a ‘confidence motion’, following the party’s allegation that attempts were being made to topple its government in the State by offering bribes to its legislators by agents of the BJP.
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The BJP members ‘marched’ towards Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s official residence here as it accused the AAP of raking up the issue of ‘toppling’ Punjab government in an attempt to divert public attention from its failure in the past six months since it came to power. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) asserted that the Governor has done the right thing as the special session was summoned “to enact a political drama on the lines of the one which took place in Delhi earlier”. Terming the session for ‘confidence motion’ as a gimmick, the Congress party also congratulated the Governor.
Mr. Mann on Thursday said that the State government has now decided to summon the session of the State Assembly on September 27 to discuss “various issues pertaining to the State.”
The Chief Minister also termed the Governor’s decision as “arbitrary and anti-democratic”. He said it is an unfortunate move and the government will move to the Supreme Court against this irrational decision. “This decision will be challenged in the Supreme Court for safeguarding the democratic rights of the people and federal rights of the states,” he said.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the Governor has done the right thing by withdrawing assent for a special session as it was to enact a political drama on the lines of the one which took place in Delhi earlier. He urged Mr. Purohit to mark an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court into the allegations of bribing of its legislators by the AAP.
Punjab’s Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa congratulated the Governor for cancelling the session and said the confidence motion was nothing but a gimmick to divert the attention of the public from the various scandals and difficulties faced by the government.
Hitting out at the Congress party for supporting what he termed as BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’, Mr. Mann said it is ironic that Congress which is the biggest victim of ‘Operation Lotus’ is standing by the side of the saffron party. He said that the Congress, the SAD and the BJP are all hand in glove in attempts being made to topple the government.
