Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the unruly and obnoxious conduct of its MLAs inside the Vidhan Sabha, terming it an unprecedented act amounting to Constitutional sacrilege.Captain Amarinder, who is also the CLP leader, told mediapersons outside the House that he had not seen such disrespect being shown to the Chair in his 50 years in politics. The Chief Minister called for a privilege motion against the AAP members who resorted to rowdy and shameful behaviour, saying that they had attacked the sanctity of the House.The Chief Minister said the dignity of the House could not be allowed to be compromised under any circumstances. The behaviour of AAP was unacceptable, he added. "The Vidhan Sabha is a sacred place meant to discuss issues related to the welfare of people and if we create such obstructions in the way of smooth functioning of the House it amounts to gagging the voice of the people, who have sent us to the House to represent them,” he said.
The Chief Minister lashed out at the disruptive behaviour of the Akalis, who also resorted to obstruction of the smooth functioning of the House.
Captain Amarinder earlier intervened in the discussion in the Vidhan Sabha to flay the disruptive behavior of AAP legislator Sukhpal Khaira, saying it was not the Kapurthala Dangal where he could indulge in such acts. All members have the democratic right to raise issues but in a decent manner befitting their status as elected representatives of the people, he added.The Chief Minister dismissed all charges by AAP on the sand mining issue, saying the e-auction had been conducted in such a transparent manner for the first time in the state, earning the exchequer huge revenues. Responding to a query regarding a crackdown by the officials of Mining Department in Roop Nagar at two screening plants which were found related to AAP leader Harpreet Singh Kahlon, the Chief Minister said the judicial commission probing the issue would look into all aspects of the mining auctions. Nobody found guilty of any misdemeanor in this regard would be spared, he added.Asked about allegations against Khaira by another AAP member who claimed he had given the former Rs. 20 lakh for a ticket, the Chief Minister said if any complaint was lodged against him in this regard, the State Government would certainly look into the matter.In response to another question by the media, Captain Amarinder said he had already assured the House that the Vigilance Bureau would examine the matter of encroachments at the sites of Water Works in Abohar city by certain influential people, managed during the previous SAD-BJP regime through tampering of the revenue records.
Congress MLA Harpartap Singh Ajnala had raised this issue during question hour in the House, saying the said sites had been grabbed fraudulently after getting the registries executed in their names.Captain Amarinder reiterated his commitment to farm loan waiver, saying his government would take the necessary steps once the report of the expert group led by T. Haq comes. The SAD ruckus in the House today on the issue was nothing but a political gimmick aimed at garnering cheap publicity, he said.Responding to questions, the Chief Minister said his government was not waiting for the central government to announce debt waiver though it would welcome any such move to help the farmers of the country in their hour of crisis. With or without central assistant, his government, said Captain Amarinder, was committed to implementing the debt waiver promise just as it has fulfilled many other key promises made to the people of Punjab. On being asked about the allegation leveled by Akali MLAs in the house regarding derogatory remarks passed by Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chief Minister said he was close to Sidhu and was sure the minister did not utter any derogatory words.