Opposition parties Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP lashed out at the Punjab government today for scheduling a mere 5-day assembly session, terming the "brief" session as "a cruel joke", aimed at shielding the Congress' "false promises" from being exposed.
The state Cabinet today decided to summon the next session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from August 24 to August 28.
"By reducing the period for the forthcoming assembly session, the Congress government in Punjab wants to prevent the Akali Dal from exposing its false promises. If the Captain-led government has fulfilled its promises, it must face our questions boldly," SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeted.
Talking to reporters later, he demanded a longer, 10 to 15-day session.
"We want to raise issues pertaining to the Congress' false promises on debt waiver and employment. They have kept the session short as they know they stand exposed," said the former deputy chief minister.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira described the session with "brief duration" as a "cruel joke".
"The proposed 24-28 August session is a cruel joke played with the august platform of Vidhan Sabha by Capt Amarinder, its actually only a 2-day session as the 24th August will witness only obituaries references and then there will be two weekend holidays! The people's issues will suffer. I urge the government to have at least 15-day session," Khaira tweeted.
Another AAP legislator from Kharar Kanwar Sandhu described the "short" assembly session as the "murder of democracy."
"The short August 24 to 28 Punjab Vidhan Sabha session, as announced, is a murder of democratic and legislative practices. It is only a 'two-day' session in actual effect. This is contrary to the spirit of the Vidhan Sabha rules, procedures and practices," Sandhu said.
A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office, meanwhile, said the session would commence on the August 24 afternoon with obituary references.
The legislative business would be transacted in both the morning and the evening sessions on August 27.
The house would adjourn sine-die after the proposed legislative business on August 28.
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