Tensions ran high in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday as members of both the treasury and opposition benches came close to a physical altercation after a heated exchange of words between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.
The second day of the budget session turned chaotic when Mann, in a dramatic gesture, “gifted” a padlock to the Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, urging him to lock the doors of the main assembly hall from inside to prevent the opposition members (read Congress) from walking out during the debate on the Governor's address.
The argument, initially sparked by Mann’s unconventional move, quickly escalated into a free-for-all as the Chief Minister and other MLAs began leveling personal allegations against one another. Mann, visibly agitated, lost his composure on several occasions, directing his ire particularly at the opposition Congress, including Bajwa, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
The unruly scenes unfolded after the Speaker, at the behest of AAP MLAs, allowed a discussion on the Governor’s address, departing from the usual practice of commencing with the day’s proceedings with ‘Question Hour’ followed by the ‘Zero Hour’.
Even though Mann’s request was to ensure that the opposition members remain present for the discussion without walking out, it led to a heated argument between Mann and Bajwa, with both leaders engaging in a fiery war of words — mincing no words while launching personal attacks against one other.
As the verbal sparring intensified, the Speaker intervened, clarifying that the issue of locking the door was “symbolic” and aimed at facilitating a constructive discussion in the House. Despite the clarification, the exchange between the AAP and Congress members continued, with Mann targeting the Congress leadership, including Bajwa, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
Mann accused the Congress of disrupting the proceedings and attempting to run the House according to their own rules. Taking exception to Bajwa’s “choice of words” for the members of the treasury benches, Mann said: “eh tuhaade andar di ‘main’ hai…eh tuhada ahankaar bolda hai (loosely translated as “It’s your ego dictating your words”).
“It we start talking…we will also talk about gold biscuit smuggling,” Mann told Bajwa, in a personal attack.
As Bajwa and Mann exchanged heated words, notwithstanding repeated requests by the Speaker to restore order asking MLAs to go back on their seats, the altercation continued to escalate, with both sides refusing to back down — forcing a 15-minute adjournment.
Even when the House was in adjournment, the legislators continued to engage in a war of words. The leaders came close to exchanging blows as Bajwa made some objectionable remarks against AAP MLA Devinderjit Singh Laddi Dhose. Congress and AAP MLAs have to intervene to stop Laddi Dhose who nearly reached the point of physical altercation with Bajwa reaching up to the Leader of Opposition’s chair on the other side of the floor.
As the House resumed, the intense exchange of words continued, prompting the Speaker to intervene and urge restraint. He reminded the members of their responsibility to conduct themselves with dignity and respect for parliamentary norms. When Bajwa asked the Speaker to take up the farmers’ issue first, Mann interposed asking the Speaker if the opposition MLAs are “dictating the chair”.
Lashing out at the opposition for double standards, Mann said: “On one hand they complain about short session, and when the session is from March 1 to 15, they are not letting the House run.”
“They are trying to disrupt the functioning of the House. They come here, shout slogans, show these placards…This is not acceptable!...People of Punjab have taught them a lesson by limiting them to just 18 seats,” said Mann. Responding, Bajwa contended that the opposition leaders’ role was to raise people’s issue and hold the government accountable.
Making it clear that the lock was to keep the Congress MLAs inside the House and not outside, Mann said: “If they want to go out, let them go so that we can run the House and they cannot come inside again. They cannot hear the truth. Speaker saab, give them an excuse to leave.”
Go, Ask Sonia and Rahul Gandhi Not To Give Us Kurukshetra or Delhi, Gujarat: Mann To Bajwa
Mann and Bajwa, among other issues, also engaged in a heated argument over seat-sharing arrangements between their parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The verbal clash unfolded against the backdrop of both the Congress and AAP being members of the pan-India opposition bloc — INDIA.
Taking a direct swipe at Bajwa, Mann asked him to convey to the Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to refrain from allocating Lok Sabha seats to AAP in Delhi, Haryana, or Gujarat. “Who does Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi sit with?...With me. Have you ever sat with them?” Mann questioned, making animated gestures.
“On the one hand, you are making agreements (on seat sharing) with us…Go ask them not to give us Kurukshetra (in Haryana) or Delhi and Gujarat (Lok Sabha) seats for us,” said Mann. Later on, Mann also took a dig at the Congress’ poor performance in Delhi where it failed to have its representative since 2015 both in state assembly and in the Parliament.
Mocking the Congress leader, Mann reminded him of several senior leaders who had defected from the grand old party to join the BJP.
At the same time, Mann also dared Bajwa to contest against him in the Lok Sabha polls. Responding to Mann's challenge, Bajwa affirmed his readiness to contest against the AAP leader from any constituency in Punjab. “When the heated argument was going on, the Chief Minister asked me if I would contest against him in the elections. I told him that from wherever he contests from Punjab, I will stand against him. I have accepted his challenge openly,” said Bajwa, while taking with the media.
“Mind your language…we are hardworking people”
In a scathing rebuke, Mann admonished Bajwa for what he perceived as “disrespect” towards the members of the ruling benches, highlighting their humble backgrounds and the effort they put in to reach the assembly.
Mann urged Bajwa to be mindful of his language, emphasizing that the opposition's primary objective seemed to be attaining power. He drew a sharp contrast by insinuating that unlike their counterparts, who he alleged came from affluent backgrounds, the ruling party members hailed from modest origins. “Our Finance Minister is an advocate…our Cabinet Ministers Dr Baljit Kaur and Dr Balbir Singh are renowned eye surgeons…our MLA Dr Charanjit Singh Channi is also a notable eye surgeon…We are hard-working people…Those who come here wearing Rs 1.25 lakh shawls have nothing to do with Punjab and its people,” quipped Mann, while asking Bajwa to “mind your language” while talking about AAP MLAs.
From Bajwa to Khaira to Warring: Mann took dig at opposition
At the height of his wit, Mann directed pointed remarks at Bajwa, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
Directing his attention to Khaira, Mann asked if he is still with the Congress as “I have learnt that he is planning to join some other party”. Delivering a sly jab, Mann said: “Cycle da vi stand hunda ae…Ae taan dodhiyaan wala motorcycle ne, jidhar nu karo, usse taraf ho jao (Even a cycle has a stand…They are like the motorcycle of a milk vendor without a stable stand, it can stand on any side).”
Using a metaphor, Mann illustrated his point by likening the pursuit of power to a fleeting ambition, suggesting that Bajwa would not attain the position he desired. “Titliyaan warga yaar mera…kade iss full te, kade uss phull te,” he quipped.
Saying that the Congress just wanted to have power, Mann offered to take seat beside him to have a “feeling of being a CM”.
“Sometimes when a child is afflicted with terminal illness he is asked what he wants to become in life and he says like SSP…So he is often given the SSP’s chair for a day to fulfill his wish….As Bajwa is unlikely to get the chair in future, I request Bajwa saab to come and sit here (on the Chief Minister’s seat) for 30 minutes with me and get the feeling as the people will not give it (to you),” said Mann.
In a stern warning directed at Warring — the former Transport Minister, Mann hinted at impending action regarding an alleged scam, asserting that all relevant files were under his scrutiny. He also questioned Warring about the procurement of bus bodies from Rajasthan, allegedly influenced by Congress leader Harish Chaudhary.
Tensions escalated further when AAP members objected to Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira addressing the Speaker informally. Mann criticized Khaira's lack of respect towards the Speaker, highlighting the importance of addressing the Chair with due regard.
Mann Locks Down Cong Walkout
By presenting a padlock to the Speaker, Mann ingeniously employed a symbolic gesture to prevent the Congress from staging a walkout during the proceedings in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha — at least for nearly three hours. Congress MLAs continued their protest inside the well of the House unabated by the Chief Minister's repeated provocations and taunting remarks.
Despite the Congress MLAs' persistent protests and vocal demonstrations, all through the debate on the Governor's address, the AAP Government continued its legislative agenda. While the AAP members applauded their government's achievements, the Opposition remained steadfast in their dissent, refusing to relent.
However, as the Chief Minister began addressing the ongoing discussion, the Congress legislators chose to stage their exit, underscoring what Mann described as the opposition's tendency to evade substantive issues. He criticized the Congress, alleging that evading responsibilities was ingrained in their party's DNA, citing instances of prominent leaders being absent during crucial legislative sessions.
Cong Demands CM’s Resignation, Apology Over Offensive Remarks Against its MLA
Strongly condemning Mann’s “offensive” remarks against Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, Bajwa demanded the Chief Minister’s resignation while asking him to seek apology from the leader.
Expressing outrage, Bajwa highlighted an incident involving Dalit MLA Kotli from Adampur. According to Bajwa, Kotli inquired about the promise to appoint a Dalit as Deputy Chief Minister and raised slogans, to which Mann responded with a derogatory remark implying Kotli was having a “seizure”.
Demanding Mann's resignation and a public apology, Bajwa emphasized the need for accountability from the Chief Minister. Kotli also addressed the media, visibly emotional as he condemned Mann's remarks.
Speaker Refers ‘Governor Address Disruption’ to Privilege Committee
Days after Congress MLAs disrupted Governor Banwarilal Purohit's customary address to the House on the first day of the budget session, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan took serious note. He referred the matter of “disrespect to the House” to the Vidhan Sabha's privilege committee following the House's resolution on the issue.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Balkar Singh moved the resolution regarding the conduct of Congress MLAs, except Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, for their role in disrupting the Governor's address on March 1. The House unanimously adopted the resolution, denouncing the alleged misconduct, and directed the Privileges Committee to further investigate the matter.
