Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab assembly special session: Fiery start as oppn slams govt for not tabling Bill against farm laws

Chandigarh The two-day special session of the Punjab assembly got off to a fiery start on Monday even as the state government maintained a veil of secrecy over the Bill to be introduced to counter the Centre’s agriculture marketing laws. The members of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) protested, both inside and outside the state assembly, to press for the Bill against the farm laws for which the special session has been convened. The AAP, the principal opposition party in the Punjab assembly, sought copies of the Bill drafted by the Congress government to negate the effect of the new farm laws on the state, whereas the SAD legislators demanded that it should be tabled and discussed on the first day of the special session. Leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said they should be provided copies of the Bill. “Will we get copies of the Bill after the session is over,” he asked. Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal told members that the government is already in consultation with legal and constitutional experts on the issue and copies of various Bills to be tabled during the session will be given to the opposition parties by the evening. SAD legislator Gurpartap Singh Wadala said the special session has been summoned to counter the farm laws but it seems they (state government) have no clarity. “The main Bill should have been tabled and discussed first in the House. This should have been the first business. The entire Punjab is watching what the government is doing,” he said. The opposition members were not satisfied with the response, and continued their protests for several hours, raising slogans against the state government. While the AAP MLAs squatted in the well of House for five hours for copies of the Bills, Akali legislators led by Bikram Singh Majithia protested outside the gates of Punjab Bhawan, a government guest house here, where they had gone to brief the media, but were denied entry. “Is this Congress Bhawan,” asked Majithia before four of his colleagues scaled the gates and entered the complex. The legislative business, including the one to counter the Centre’s new laws, will be taken up on Tuesday even as several cabinet ministers and MLAs of the Congress denied having any knowledge about the contents of the Bill to be introduced by the government in the House. The day’s proceedings began with obituary references and the House was adjourned for an hour by speaker Rana KP Singh thereafter. The House reassembled for nearly 15 minutes before being adjourned till Tuesday. Earlier, the AAP members, who came wearing black capes, tore and burnt copies of the new farm laws. “This was done to show our anger and register our protest against these laws,” AAP MLA Aman Arora said. Several Akali legislators rode tractors in protest against the farm laws, but they were stopped by police. Homage to farmers The Punjab assembly on Monday paid homage to all farmers who have lost their lives during the ongoing protests against the three agriculture marketing laws enacted by the Centre recently, freedom fighters and other eminent personalities. As soon as the day’s proceedings began, speaker Rana KP Singh listed names of lance naik Karnail Singh and freedom fighters Mahinder Singh, Sardar Singh, Rai Singh Patanga, Mahinder Singh and Hemraj Mittal in the obituary references. On the request of finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the speaker also consented to include the name of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu. The House also paid tributes to former Punjabi University vice-chancellor Joginder Singh Puar, Punjabi writer Kuldeep Singh Dhir and noted musician Kesar Singh Narula. A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of departed souls as a mark of respect.

Hindustan Times

19-10-2020

City