High drama unfolded in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday following heated exchanges between chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, prompting a walkout by the principal opposition party, which demanded an alcohol test of all members.
The verbal duel between Mann and Khaira began while Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading the official resolution on increasing the minimum wages for labourers. The assembly’s one-day special session was called for this resolution. Mann rose from his seat and objected to Khaira using his mobile phone, claiming the member was not paying attention to the resolution. “Why don’t you step out of the House and use it?” the chief minister said, drawing a sharp reaction from the MLA.
The Bholath MLA asked Mann who he was to issue directions to him in the House. Mann urged Sandhwan to ask Khaira what he had said about the resolution, following which the Congress member was asked to maintain order. Mann and Khaira engaged in a prolonged heated exchange, pointing fingers at each other, though much of what they said was not audible as several treasury members also joined in.
Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemned the Congress MLA, questioning his “body language” and demanding action against him.
Sandhwan intervened, directing the treasury members to take their seats. The Speaker also told Khaira that as one of the most experienced members, others expected to learn from him how to conduct themselves. “Here, you are sitting with your legs crossed. You should not do this,” he pointed out, to which the member replied that he was not being allowed to speak.
Khaira claimed that Mann’s wife sat with her legs crossed in the visitors’ gallery during the previous session. “When this was brought to her notice, she corrected herself. She is not a member of the House. You even keep speaking against my daughter. He should be medically treated at the assembly’s expense,” Mann said before telling the Congress member to sit down. The Speaker then told the members to proceed with the discussion on the official resolution.
A short while later, another heated exchange ensued between the treasury benches and Congress legislators when Khaira made a remark against Mann, questioning the manner in which he was conducting himself. AAP members responded noisily, and the Speaker immediately expunged the remarks made without his permission. “This is my warning. If any member defies the Chair, I will have to name him,” he said.
At this stage, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that all members undergo an alcohol test. “An honourable member has made a serious allegation and that also against the head of the state. If it is true, then there cannot be a worse day than this. It is a black day for democracy. Sir, you are the custodian of the House; my request is that you close the doors and get an alcometer test done on all members present here,” he said, exacerbating the chaos. The Speaker appealed to the members to allow cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak to continue his speech, but noisy scenes persisted. Shortly thereafter, the Congress members entered the well of the House and raised slogans, met by counter-slogans from the treasury benches, before staging a walkout.
