No decision yet on Phoolka's resignation: Punjab speaker

Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh on Tuesday said no decision has been taken yet on the resignation of AAP MLA H S Phoolka from the House.

"We have received the resignation of Phoolka and it is being examined," Singh told reporters at village Raqba, about 30 km from here.

He was there to attend a function organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.

Phoolka, MLA from Dakha constituency, resigned as legislator on October 12, expressing unhappiness over the Punjab government's alleged "failure" to initiate action against former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and retired DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in sacrilege incidents.

He said his resignation would put pressure on the state government to act on the report of the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission, which was set up to probe cases of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and other scriptures.

According to the report, Badal and Saini were "aware" of the planned police action in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan to disperse protesters. Two protesters were killed in the police firing.

If Phoolka's resignation is accepted, the Aam Aadmi Party's strength in the Vidhan Sabha will drop to 19 MLAs, eight of whom have formed a rebel group led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira.