9 Cong MLAs in Punjab suspended for rest of Budget Session
Chandigarh, Mar 14: Punjab Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal today suspended nine Congress MLAs for the rest of the remaining part of the budget session for their unruly conduct in the house yesterday.
The suspended members are Jagmohan Singh Kang, Charanjit Singh Channi, Raja Amarinder Singh Warring, Rana Gurjit Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Hardyal Kamboj, Kuljit Nagra, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Harmohinder Singh Pinky.
Earlier in the day, the Speaker had suspended these members
for a day only, but Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and other MLAs of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance demanded
that they be suspended for the rest of the session.
Mr Atwal also informed the House that an FIR had been filed against four Congress MLAs who had beaten up a Dalit watch and ward employee in the premises of Vidhan Sabha.
Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Assembly today as the Opposition Congress stalled the proceedings of the House in protest against the alleged police attempt to pick up the woman victim of Taran Tarn police beating case from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) office in the Vidhan Sabha premises.
The irate Congress members threw paper missiles towards the Speaker's chair from the well of the House, broke a security cordon made by the Watch and Ward staff in front of the Speaker's podium after a scuffle and rushed towards his Chair as SAD MLA Gurtej Singh Karhiana was presiding over the proceedings during the discussion on the Governor's address in the absence of Mr Atwal.
As the situation went out of control, the Speaker came and adjourned the House for the day.
However, Congress MLAs did not relent, with one of them occupying the Speaker's chair and conducting a mock Assembly and another standing at the Vidhan Sabha Secretary's chair.
Congress MLA Jagmohan Kang occupied the Speaker's chair after the adjournment of the House for the day.
Earlier, Charanjit Singh Channi (Cong) tried to reach the Speaker's chair while standing over the Secretary's chair but he was pushed back by the marshal.
Another party MLA Raja Amarinder Singh Warring and some other members had a scuffle with a watch and ward employee before breaking the security cordon in front of the Speaker's podium.