Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has lambasted Akali leaders Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal over their shocking abuse of the high office of the Speaker and their open threats against him.Castigating the Badals for their unparliamentary language and behaviour against the Speaker, who was elected unanimously by all the parties in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister warned them against any further attempts to demolish the democratic foundations of the august House, saying the Congress would not allow the state’s Constitutional systems to be destroyed in such a manner.As a Constitutional authority mandated with the task of maintaining order in the House, the Speaker was required to ensure that there is no obstruction or disturbance and he was merely fulfilling his duty by preventing the Assembly precincts to be reduced to a battleground by the uncouth legislators of the opposition parties, said the Chief Minister.The Congress, as the majority party, will neither allow the high office of the Speaker to be so maligned nor would it permit the Akalis or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to prevent the government from implementing its public welfare agenda, which the opposition seemed to be bent on impeding, Captain Amarinder asserted, reacting to media reports quoting Badal senior that they would not allow the House to function unless the Speaker is removed from his post.If Badal thinks he can hold the government to ransom with his cheap threats, he is totally mistaken, said the Chief Minister, adding that he would not be cowed down by such shameless threats.
Captain Amarinder ridiculed the former chief minister for shedding crocodile tears at the hospital and indulging in histrionics in a clear bid to garner public sympathy and hog media limelight. Badal had not found the time to go to the House, where his presence just might have helped rein in the goondaism of his party legislators, but wasted no time to rush for a photo opportunity at the hospital, without even bothering to ascertain how seriously the AAP MLAs had actually been injured, if at all, said the Chief Minister.The Chief Minister also lashed out at Sukhbir for resorting to cheap and unconstitutional language while referring to the Speaker, saying this was reflective of the total disrespect the Akalis have always had for Constitutional positions.Captain Amarinder further castigated the Akalis for trying to communalise the situation which they had triggered with their own irresponsible and undemocratic acts.Captain Amarinder flayed both the Akalis and the AAP over their unprecedented and shockingly unruly behaviour within the House. Neither the Akalis nor the AAP have maintained even an iota of decorum in the House, whose sanctity they have completely violated over the past few days with their atrocious conduct, he pointed out, adding that the entire drama had clearly being enacted in a bid to prevent the government from accomplishing its goals and to divert public attention away from its stupendous successes.Not only their conduct but even the language used by the opposition legislators reflected their total lack of respect for democratic norms and ethics, with even senior leaders like Parkash and Sukhbir Badal resorting to cheap and unconstitutional language while referring to the Speaker, who holds the most dignified position in the House, said the Chief Minister.