Punjab News / Punjab's Mann government will go to court against the Governor, assembly session adjourned midway

Punjab News: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said his government will approach the Supreme Court against the Governor's refusal to give assent to three bills to be presented in the two-day session of the state assembly. The House was adjourned sine die a few hours after the proceedings began on the first day of the session. Let us tell you that this session was called for 20-21 October. Mann told Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan that his government would not introduce any bill in the House and requested him to adjourn the Assembly sine die.

‘Does not want to escalate the dispute with the Governor’

ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਬਿੱਲ ਸੀ ਜੋ ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸਾਬ੍ਹ ਨੇ ਰੋਕ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਨੇ…ਸਾਰੇ ਬਿੱਲ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਆਮਦਨ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਬੰਧਤ ਸੀ…ਕਰਜ਼ੇ ਨੂੰ ਲੈਕੇ ਸਵਾਲ ਪੁੱਛਣਾ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਹੱਕ ਹੈ..ਪਰ ਜਿਹੜਾ ਕਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਵਿਰਸੇ ‘ਚ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤੇ ਕਿਉਂ ਚੜ੍ਹਿਆ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਲੈਕੇ ਵੀ ਸਵਾਲ ਕਰਨ ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸਾਬ੍ਹ pic.twitter.com/foYYJ6azey

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) October 20, 2023

CM Bhagwant Mann said, 'I do not want the dispute with the Governor to escalate further. I urge you that we will not introduce any bills until we ensure that this session is lawful, and the Governor approves the bills.' Following Mann's request, a decision to adjourn the Assembly sine die was made. A motion was presented which was approved by the House. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had written a letter to the Chief Minister on Thursday, not approving the 3 bills. There is already a dispute between the Raj Bhavan and the AAP led government in Punjab.

‘Chief Minister should call monsoon or winter session’

The Governor said that his suggestion to CM Mann is that instead of continuing this exercise, he should call the monsoon or winter session. He had said that if the government moves towards calling an illegal session, he will be forced to take appropriate action, including informing the President on the matter. Earlier in the day, there was ruckus in the House when Congress MLAs, citing the Governor's remarks, asked the Assembly Speaker whether this session was valid. Sandhwan said in the House that the 2-day session is valid. He said, 'As the Speaker of the Assembly, I consider this session legitimate.'

ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸਾਬ੍ਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਬੁਲਾਏ ਹੋਏ ਸੈਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗ਼ੈਰ ਕਨੂੰਨੀ ਦੱਸੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ..ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਾਨੇ ਦਾ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਹੋ ਰਿਹੈ ਸੈਸ਼ਨ ਨੂੰ ਗ਼ੈਰ ਕਨੂੰਨੀ ਕਹਿਣ ‘ਤੇ…ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਅਸੀਂ ਮਾਣਯੋਗ ਸੁਪਰੀਮ ਕੋਰਟ ਜਾਵਾਂਗੇ ਤੇ ਕਨੂੰਨੀ ਪੱਖ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਜਿੱਤ ਕੇ ਆਵਾਂਗੇ.. pic.twitter.com/c8nbhnUMB7

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) October 20, 2023

‘I have not had any conversation with the Governor’

Sandhwan made this comment when Congress member and opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa sought a point of order on the subject. Sandhwan insisted that the two-day session was legal, while Congress members continued to raise questions on the issue and cited a letter written by the Governor to CM Mann, terming it an illegal session. Bajwa mentioned that Purohit had written that this was an illegal session. He said, 'We do not know whether this session is legal or illegal' and the Speaker of the Assembly replied that it is legal. Sandhwan said, 'I have not had any conversation with the Governor.'

‘If the session is illegal then the purpose of the bills will not be fulfilled’

Bajwa said, 'There is a big constitutional crisis in Punjab today. The Governor has said that this is an illegal session. You (Legislative Speaker) are the guardian of the House. The Governor has not previously approved many bills. If the session is illegal then the purpose of the bills being brought is not fulfilled.' The noise continued during the question hour. The Speaker of the Assembly asked the Congress members not to disrupt the proceedings of the House. Sandhwan asked Bajwa to allow the Question Hour to be completed first. He also said that the remaining issues can be raised during Zero Hour.

Tributes paid to leaders and personalities

The Governor's Secretariat had said that this session would be 'illegal' and any action taken during it would be illegal. At the same time, the Mann government had described this session as an extension of the budget session. On the first day of the session, members paid tribute to recently deceased leaders and personalities, including former Chief Election Commissioner MS Gill and eminent agronomist MS Swaminathan. The House also paid tribute to Agniveer Amritpal Singh who died in Jammu and Kashmir last week. A few days ago, Mann had announced giving him the status of martyr amid the controversy over the army not cremating this soldier with military honours. (Language)