Punjab Assembly adjourned after pandemonium

The Punjab Assembly was adjourned four times on Wednesday as pandemonium broke out after the Opposition Congress raised slogans and moved to the well, alleging that the police had "raided" its Congress Legislature Party office (CLP) within the Assembly complex on Wednesday.

As the Question Hour was progressing, the Congress members led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar started raising slogans and walked out.

The Congress members rushed to the CLP office and thrashed some persons alleging that they were Punjab Police personnel who raided the party premises following information that the woman who was thrashed recently by police officials in Tarn Taran district and two other women were seated there.

The protesting Congress members floored a security personnel, beat him and snatched his Identity Card.

Inside the house, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that he was not aware of what had happened.

"I have sought a report from the Chief Secretary," he told the members.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who is also the Home Minister, said that he was also not aware of the situation. Shortly afterwards, the Chief Minister said that as per the report of the CS, the Leader of the Opposition Jakhar forcibly brought three girls to the Assembly premises and they were sitting in the CLP office.

"This is an illegal act of Jakhar," the Chief Minister said. He demanded legal action against Jakhar saying, "In this way any militant can enter the Assembly and cause a major damage."

"This, including the walkout, has been done only to get good publicity in the media," he said adding, "If we cannot ensure proceedings in a peaceful and calm manner then only God can help us."

As the pandemonium prevailed, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal sought to move a resolution seeking action against Jakhar and others, but the Congress members came in and moved to the well of the house raising slogans. Since the sloganeering continued, the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal adjourned the house for 30 minutes. When it re-assembled, the house could not function and it was again adjourned for another 30 minutes.

Atwal then adjourned the house twice of one hour each.