Oppn Cong holds 'mock' Punjab Assembly session, slams Akalis

With business as usual inside the Punjab Assembly, main opposition Congress today held a 'mock' session at the parking lot of the Vihan Sabha and lambasted the ruling Akali Dal for alleged lawlessness in the state.
Sporting black bands on their head and headgears, Congress MLAs "rejected" the vote of account budget presented in their absence by Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa in the House.
At their meeting chaired by "speaker" Jagmohan Singh Kang, the opposition members raised several incidents of alleged lawlessness in the state.
Congress MLA Ashwini Sekhri raised serious questions over law and order in the state and highlighted an incident in which the daughter of a constable was picked up in February allegedly by those "close to the Akalis" and the FIR was registered "very late."

Another party MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa cited a case where a government official's family member was "ill treated" by someone having good rapport with ruling Akalis when they were out for dinner in Amritsar.
Young Congress MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra slammed the state's sports policy, while Charanjit Singh Channi, another MLA, highlighted the "poor plight" of Dalits especially of women.

Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Jakhar said they would urge the Governor to reject the budget. "It's not a budget, but a fraud with the people of the state," he said.
Congress MLAs, including Aruna Chaudhary, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, strongly protested against the proposed property tax to be implemented from April one by the Parkash Singh Badal government.

They raised slogans against the SAD-BJP government and demanded immediate withdrawal of the proposed tax.
The budget session saw uproarious scenes with the opposition protesting suspension of nine of its MLAs on grounds of showing disrespect to the Chair.