Punjab: Congress’s attack fades as the assembly session progresses

Punjab: The performance of the main opposition party Congress was not up to expectations in the eight-day budget session of the Punjab Assembly that concluded on Friday. Except for Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, most of the party MLAs failed to take an aggressive stance in raising the burning issues of Punjab. The party failed to maintain its momentum even after properly raising the issue of the brutal attack on Army Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and the crackdown on farmers during the Governor’s address. The Congress tried to demolish the AAP government’s narrative of ‘bulldozer justice’ as part of the campaign against drugs. Though Bajwa raised the issue of AIG Rajit Singh’s alleged links with the ‘drug mafia’ and demanded a dope test of the CM and all MLAs as part of the statewide drug census, the party could not sustain the pressure.

Instead, the ruling AAP’s strategy of preventing firebrand leader and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira from speaking and giving the opportunity to MLA Pargat Singh and then independent MLA Inder Pratap Singh to speak, benefited the Congress and it walked out of the House. The ruling party used the occasion to capitalise on the differences among Congress MLAs, with Congress members walking out over Khaira not being allowed to speak. Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh did not join the protest. His colleagues were seen persuading him to join the walkout, which he reluctantly joined. Rana and Khaira have clashed with each other in the past as well. Instead, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan allowed independent MLA Rana Inder Pratap, son of MLA Rana Gurjit, to speak, further infuriating Khaira.

During Thursday’s proceedings, throughout the Zero Hour, which could have been used to raise questions over shortcomings in the Budget, the party walked out thrice over the issue. Party leaders said each MLA had to launch a strong attack on the ruling party, as discussed in a meeting chaired by All India Congress Committee general secretary and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. Defending the party’s performance in the House, Bajwa questioned the time given to the Opposition to raise issues. He said, “The rules of business were being violated. Sukhpal Khaira was not allowed to speak even after being given time. During the entire proceedings, our voice was suppressed on the basis of majority. The issues that we wanted to raise in the House were not allowed to be spoken and were raised outside the House.”