Punjab Congress airs Majithia CD, Speaker rushes to Delhi

The one minute long clippings of the CD was played on a number of occasions yesterday at a political rally of the Congress at the ongoing Maghi 'Mela' (fair) in Muktsar district.

A number of senior leaders from the state Congress including Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar were present at the Muktsar rally. Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was also there, though the CD was not played during the time he remained present.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said he took "full responsibility for screening of the video clip showing Revenue and Public Relations Minister and Youth Akali Dal President Bikram Singh Majithia hurling abuses at Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh in the assembly (session last month at Chandigarh)".

Amarinder remained defiant, saying the footage was already in the public domain and its "ban was irrelevant".

The video clip was earlier shown at the main Sector 17 Commercial Centre here by the Congress.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal rushed to Delhi to meet his lawmaker friends to seek opinion on the piquant situation that has arisen after airing of the CD, which showed Majithia allegedly hurling abuses at Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh on the floor of the Assembly.

"I met some of my friends in Delhi today. I had gone there to seek a full understanding of law in this case. I wanted to know what is done in situations when something live goes on air, like the Parliament has its own channel, which afterwards is expunged by the Speaker.

"In a day or two, I will get accurate legal position in the matter," Atwal, who had earlier also served as the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, told PTI over phone. MORE