Akali MLAs suspended for creating ruckus during Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's speech

The House witnessed uproar when Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was replying to the Governor's address and legislators of the Akali Dal rushed to the well of the House

Ten Akali Dal MLAs were suspended from the Punjab Assembly for the rest of its Budget session after they created a ruckus, shouting slogans and storming the well of the House.

After Speaker Rana K P Singh announced their suspension, the MLA squatted on the floor. Marshals were them called to evict them.

The House is scheduled to sit for three more days after the weekend break.

The Budget will be presented on March 8 and the session ends on March 10.

Altogether, the Shiromani Akal Dal (SAD) has 14 members in the Punjab Assembly.

The ruckus erupted while Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was replying to the debate on the Governor’s address.

SAD and Aam Aadmi Party MLAs rushed to the well of the House and shouted slogans against the Congress government as the CM spoke about his party’s victory in the recent civic polls.

The MLAs chanted slogans over the state government’s “unfulfilled promises.” In turn, some ruling party legislators also raised slogans against the SAD and the AAP for coming together to interrupt the CM's speech.

The Speaker then adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

When the proceedings resumed, the CM spoke about the relief in the electricity tariff given by his government to the industry after Covid-19 pandemic.

Akali legislator N K Sharma contested his claim, saying a “high” tariff was being charged from traders. SAD MLAs rose from their seats and rushed to the well of the House again over the power tariff issue, prompting the Speaker to issue a warning.

“I will name you. Don’t force me to suspend you for three days of the session,” he said. “If you do not allow the House to run, it is my 'dharma' to run it,” he said, asking the Akalis, “What message do you want to give to the world?” SAD legislators then staged a walkout.

They returned when Amarinder Singh was targeting SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

The CM said the SAD chief had written a letter to him supporting the farm ordinances while Harsimrat Kaur Badal called them “pro-farmer” just 10 days before her resignation as Union minister.

SAD’s Bikram Singh Majithia asked where Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were when the farm bills were passed in Parliament, triggering a sharp reaction from the treasury benches.

Akali Dal legislators then again headed to the well of the House, shouting slogans. The Speaker said the Akali legislators were “deliberately disrupting” the proceedings despite being issued a warning. He named the Akali MLAs and suspended them for the remaining part of the session.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes. But instead of leaving, SAD legislators squatted on the floor and continued to raise slogans.

Marshals then evicted them. Akali MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu was pushed out when he tried to enter the House again.

Later in a statement, the SAD accused the Speaker of suspending Akali MLAs at the behest of the chief minister.

Bikram Singh Majithia said the CM and the Congress did not have the “courage" to listen to the truth and wanted a clear field to “peddle their lies”.

“That is why those who opposed their lies and deceitful ways have been suspended from the assembly while those who are pliant listeners like the Aam Aadmi Party legislators are still in the assembly. Democracy has been murdered in the process,” he said.

Earlier, the AAP also staged a walkout after attacking Amarinder Singh over the farmers’ issue.