Chandigarh: Punjab Assembly today paid tributes to a former Minister, a former MLA of joint Punjab, 12 freedom fighters and others who died since the last session. Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal led the House in paying tributes to former Minister Jasjit Singh Randhawa and former MLA of joint Punjab Parsani Devi. The 12 freedom fighters included Tek Singh, Jugraj Singh, Basant Singh, and Karnail Singh.
The House also paid tributes to noted journalist Vinod Mehta who died recently. Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar intervened to request the Speaker to include the name of a teacher of Fazilka Sandeep Narang who had recently become a victim of three mobsters on motor-bike while saving a local shopkeeper.
The Congress which had boycotted the address of Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki yesterday attended the House today to join the obituary references. Shortly before the commencement of the Governor’s address yesterday, Opposition Congress members led by Jakhar had walked out saying they were boycotting the address. The Congress members after walking out of the House sat on a dharna in the assembly lounge. A Congress spokesperson said the protest was against the protection being given to Punjab Minister Bikram Majithia, who was allegedly paid Rs 35 lakh as
election funds by one of the accused in the synthetic drugs scam case. After the adjournment of the House today, the Congress members again sat on a dharna in the assembly lounge. As the House assembled for the day to take up the obituary references, a number of BJP and Congress members besides Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal were not present. From the BJP, only Manoranjan Kalia arrived on time while BJP legislature Party leader and Cabinet Minister Chuni Lal Bhagat arrived when the Speaker had finished paying tributes and was calling up the members to stand up for the same. Some other BJP members came later while former Union Minister Preneet Kaur missed today’s proceedings.
