Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
The political drama in Maharashtra and murder of Jagmail Singh in Sangrur echoed in the Vidhan Sabha during a special sitting of the Assembly to celebrate the Constitution Day today.
Legislators, cutting across political spectrum, spoke how the formation of Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government was against the very tenets on which the Constitution was based. Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Congress MLAs Raj Kumar Verka and Sushil Kumar Rinku, Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema, Kultar Singh Sandhawan and Principal Budh Ram of AAP also spoke.
Both Verka and Rinku and minister Bajwa spoke on how the Maharashtra Governor had “facilitated the formation of the BJP government”. Had it not been for the Supreme Court, they (the BJP) would have run down the Constitution, they alleged.Akali Dal MLA Bikram Majithia too said whatever happened in Maharashtra was “not right”, nor what was happening in Jammu and Kashmir where elected representatives were kept under house arrest.
Taking on the Punjab Government, he said the tapping of phones of Congress MLAs was violation of their rights. He also hit out at the Treasury benches, saying that Sadhu Singh Dharamsot had himself spoken against his own government that certain ministers were not letting them implement the 85th Constitutional amendment, on promotions for Dalits.
As Majithia continued to target the ruling party, Congress leaders Kulbir Singh Zira, Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi asked Speaker Rana KP Singh to not allow him more time. When the Speaker declined to intervene, the MLAs raised their voice and forced the Speaker to stop Majithia’s speech.
AAP too targeted the government and spoke on how equality for Dalits was still a far cry in Punjab. Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Kukat Singh Sandhawan and Harpal Cheema of AAP, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi and Pawan Kumar Tinu of the SAD, raised the issue of brutal assault on Jagmail Singh. These MLAs along with Congress’ Verka advocated teaching of Constitution in schools. Many MLAs spoke about the use of anti-defection law against three AAP MLAs who had rebelled against the party.
Finance Minister Manpreet Badal said the Constitution had stood the test of time and there was a need to honour the families of those Punjab leaders who had upheld the tenets of the Constitution.
Ending the debate, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said, “When you talk of 1984 riots, why do you forget about the Gujarat riots? To gain power using religion is bad. When you suppress people’s voices (referring to Kashmir), that is as bad as Emergency. There is a need to save the democratic institutions,” he said.
