Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader, Partap Singh Bajwa, today slammed the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for its careless and undemocratic approach to the deeply emotive and sensitive issue of sacrilege.
Speaking to the media, Bajwa expressed serious concern over the government’s handling of the proposed bill on sacrilege, stating that the draft copy of the bill was handed over to opposition parties just minutes before its scheduled discussion in the Assembly.
He questioned the government’s intent, saying, “This is not how serious legislative business is conducted, especially on issues that strike at the very heart of Punjab’s socio-religious fabric.”Highlighting parliamentary conventions, Bajwa pointed out that opposition parties are normally given at least 48 hours to study and understand a bill before it is brought to the House for discussion.
He accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of riding roughshod over democratic procedures and showing complete disregard for legislative norms.“It appears that Bhagwant Mann wants to bulldoze his decisions without any meaningful debate or scrutiny,” Bajwa said.
This only proves that he has little regard for democratic conventions and is more interested in pleasing his political master, Arvind Kejriwal, than serving the people of Punjab.”The Congress leader called it deeply unfortunate that such a grave and emotional issue as sacrilege is being reduced to a political stunt by the AAP government.
He warned that such behaviour not only erodes the dignity of the Assembly but also diminishes public trust in the government’s commitment to justice.Bajwa reiterated the Congress party’s firm stand against sacrilege and its resolve to ensure that any legislation in this regard must be thorough, sincere, and subjected to full legislative scrutiny.
He said that Congress government passed anti-Sacrilege Act in 2018 and it was passed unanimously.“Punjab deserves better. Our people deserve sincerity, not political gimmickry,” Bajwa concluded.