The ongoing face-off between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on September 23, 2022 escalated further after Mr. Purohit sought details of the legislative business to be taken up in the proposed Assembly session on September 27, by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
A statement from the Governor’s House (Raj Bhawan) said that on the letter of Secretary (Punjab Vidhan Sabha), dated September 22, 2022 requesting for the order of approval by the Governor of Punjab for summoning the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on September 27, 2022, a letter from the Punjab Governor’s office had been addressed to the Secretary, (Punjab Vidhan Sabha) seeking details of the legislative business to be taken up in the proposed Assembly session on September 27.
Terming it ‘too much’, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the Governor or the President’s consent before any session of Legislature was a formality. “In 75 years, no President- Governor ever asked list of Legislative business before calling session. Legislative business is decided by Busines Advisory Committee (BAC) and Speaker. Next Governor will ask all speeches also to be approved by him. Its too much,” said Mr. Mann in a tweet.
“Various issues pertaining to the State”
Mr. Mann on Thursday announced that the State government had decided to summon the session of the State Assembly on September 27 to discuss ‘various issues pertaining to the State’. The development came after the Governor had withdrawn the order of summoning of a special session of the State Assembly on September 22, in which the AAP wanted to bring a ‘confidence motion’.
Mr. Mann had also announced that the Punjab government would approach the Supreme Court against Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s decision to withdraw the order of summoning of a special session of the State Assembly.
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 the government in Punjab by offering bribes to its legislators by agents of the BJP.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that the AAP government should not use the State Assembly to further its political ambitions and instead discuss key issues of the State. “I urge Bhagwant Mann to drop the bogus agenda of ‘Operation-Lotus’ and instead use the valuable platform of Vidhan Sabha to discuss SYL, farmers suicides, regularisation of employees, MSP of moong pulse etc. Don’t use Vidhan Sabha to further the political ambitions of AAP,” he said.
