Congress boycott of Punjab Governor's Address insult to House, says AAP

Chandigarh, March 6 (IANS) Punjab Cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora and Harbhajan Singh ETO on Friday launched scathing attack on the Congress, condemning party’s decision to boycott the Governor’s Address, saying “it’s an insult to the House and to the 75-year-old parliamentary traditions of the state”.  

The ministers said the Opposition’s disruptive behaviour and sloganeering in the House were desperate attempts to divert public attention from the state’s developmental milestones. 

Cheema said in a statement that the Congress government’s legacy in Punjab "is defined by the growth of liquor, sand, and transport mafias rather than the state’s treasury or its people". 

"While the previous regime allowed state resources to be plundered, the current AAP Government has focused on fiscal discipline and real development,” he said, adding: "The Congress, which has already been reduced to zero in states like Delhi and Bihar, is headed for a similar total wipeout in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections because of their anti-people and anti-Dalit stance." 

He criticised the Opposition's conduct in the House, stating: "The Punjab Governor requested the Congress twice to sit, listen, and provide their reply during the discussion, but the Congress acted in a completely anti-democratic way. Their behaviour proves they have no respect for constitutional decorum." 

He further slammed the Congress for their mindset toward the Dalit community, citing the disrespectful treatment of his Cabinet colleague. 

“The people are well aware that the Congress is anti-Dalit. Look at the example of Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, who cleared the civil services to serve as an officer and later joined AAP to serve the public. Yet, the Congress leadership had the audacity to equate such a qualified individual with a ‘Band Baja’. Today, when our colleagues expressed their anger by bringing a band along with them, Congress leaders became frustrated because they cannot face the truth of their own arrogance.” 

Joining the issue, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state President and Cabinet minister Aman Arora said the action of the Congress in the Vidhan Sabha today “is a shameful spectacle and a direct assault on democratic traditions”. 

“Their behaviour is an insult to the House and to the 75-year-old parliamentary traditions of the state. For the past 75 years, the Governor's address has been a solemn occasion to present the state's report card and future roadmap to the people. Yet, from the very first word of the Governor, a constitutional head, the Congress chose to boycott and disrupt the proceeding with malicious slogans,” added Arora. 

--IANS 

vg/pgh