Punjab Assembly sees Sidhu-Majithia spat during budget discussion

Chandigarh, June 21
The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a spat between Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia during the discussion on the budget.
Earlier, the House was adjourned for half an hour as SAD MLAs led by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal staged a walkout shouting slogans.
During the discussion on the budget proposals, Sidhu was doing some action as his party MLA Vijay Inder Singla was speaking. Soon Majithia rose and told the Speaker that Sidhu felt like dancing and he should allow him to do so.
To this, Sidhu said he was just trying to find out how much sand would fall in case Majithia was suspended upside down (referring to the sand mafia allegedly supported by Akalis during their government).
Zero Hour began amidst sloganeering by Akali MLAs. They were demanding an apology from Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, whom they accused of using a casteist slur against Akali MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu.
Sukhbir was seen urging Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka to join them, which Phoolka declined.
Akali MLAs staged a walkout shouting slogans and the House was adjourned for half an hour.
CM Capt Amarinder Singh was not present in the House.
Phoolka called out to Navjot Singh Sidhu to come and speak to him, which Sidhu declined.
Sidhu, while addressing the media, said Sukhbir talked of maryada, when he himself had never adhered to it.
The Local Bodies Minister said, “He has no answers to the issues I raise against the Badals in the House. I told Phoolka that he didn’t sell ‘chitta’ (drugs), so why he was siding with the Akalis. I stand by my statement.”
Sidhu raked up the issues of sand mining and transport mafia allegedly run under the SAD-BJP government. He said he is honest and brave enough to challenge the Akalis, based on facts. He said he would expose Akalis before Punjabis.
Sidhu said he never used the casteist slur against Tinu, while some other “honourable member” used it.
Talking about the issue, Tinu alleged that the Speaker was biased towards the treasury benches. He said he would write to the Speaker against Sidhu over his “anti-Dalit stance” and would go to the National Scheduled Castes Commission against him.
Inquiry into old-age pensions to be held
Punjab will have an inquiry conducted within two months into the “inappropriate disbursal” of old-age pensions.
There will be no free pilgrimage in Punjab.
Finance Minister Manpreet Badal said a barbed wire against wild animals in the lower Shivaliks from Pathankot to Laltu would be completed within the five years of the current government.