All parties flay NDA govt for farms laws, fuel price hike on first day of Punjab Budget session

The Budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha saw all political parties training their guns at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for enacting the farms laws and the unprecedented rise in the price of petrol, diesel, LPG and other commodities on Monday.

Besides members belonging to the ruling Congress party, MLAs of opposition parties including Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lodged a strong protest against the Centre’s policies.

The SAD legislators tore the copies of Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore’s address while shouting slogans like “Go back, Governor”. They interrupted the Governor while he was delivering his address and also stormed the Well of the House.

Led by Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, Congress leaders including ministers, MLAs and their supporters held a protest march to gherao the Punjab Raj Bhavan but were stopped by the Chandigarh police midway, after which they staged a dharna at the spot. They raised slogans against the NDA govt at the Centre for enacting the farm laws and issues like price rise, unemployment and extending benefits to certain corporate houses.

Led by SAD chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Akali leaders including Bikram Singh Majithia, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Balwinder Singh Bhundar and a number of party workers also organised a protest rally against the Central government in Sector 25 in Chandigarh.

The UT police had to use force on the protesting Akalis when they broke the police barricades in an attempt to head towards the Punjab Secretariat to gherao Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The police used water cannons on the protesters and detained several Akali leaders including Badal and Majithia.

Members of the main opposition party, AAP, under the leadership of Harpal Singh Cheema, were seen arriving for the Assembly session on bicycles to protest the rising prices of fuel.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh led the Vidhan Sabha in paying a tribute to those who had passed away since the last session of the Assembly, including eminent personalities, farmers and farm labourers who died during the ongoing farmers’ agitation, freedom fighters and political personalities besides unsung Covid warriors.