Chandigarh: Punjab Congress MLAs on Tuesday refused to vacate the Assembly even after spending the night in the House and stuck to their demand of a debate on the no-confidence motion moved by the party against the state government.
The protesting MLAs refused to accept the appeal of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who reached the spot in the afternoon, to call off their protest.
As many as 26 Congress MLAs have been protesting against the decision of the Speaker not allowing a debate on the no-confidence motion which was defeated by a voice vote on Monday.
Earlier in the day, a heated exchange took place between the security personnel and the MLAs, including Amarinder Raja Warring and Sukhjinder Randhawa, after the police stopped their colleagues from entering the Assembly complex.
Despite the security personnel restricting the entry, Warring and Randhawa managed to bring two MLAs, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Balbir Singh Sidhu, into the Assembly complex.
Senior leaders Ambika Soni, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Lal Singh and Raj Kumar Verka were among those not allowed entry into the House and they were sitting outside the Assembly.
Bhattal alleged that not allowing the Congress MLAs to enter the House amounted to "murder of democracy" and asserted that they will take the fight to the streets.
Several MLAs, including Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Lal Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Kewal Dhillon and Bram Mohindra, staged a protest outside the Assembly complex and some Congress members even burnt an effigy of the SAD-BJP government.
Security personnel put up barricades on the road leading to the Assembly to stop the entry of the MLAs and the media. Restrictions were imposed on the entry to the Assembly.
In a letter, written by Punjab Assembly Secretariat to the DIG (Security), it was mentioned, "Today being a holiday and due to maintenance and security related matters of the Punjab Assembly and its premises, no person except the Assembly staff and security is allowed to enter the premises without the permission of Speaker."
Speaking to the media, Lal Singh said they were being treated like "terrorists", wondering how could MLAs be stopped from entering the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the 26 MLAs continued with their protest inside the Assembly by wearing aprons with the following words written on them -- 'Punjab da cancer -- Badal Parivar' (Punjab's cancer -- the Badal family).
Subsequently, the Chief Minister reached the Assembly and appealed to the protesting MLAs to vacate the House.
Badal told the Congress MLAs that he was "pained" at the protest staged by the members of the House. However, Leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi asked him whether he had brought any proposal to resolve the issue.
Congress MLAs Kuljit Nagra and Bharat Bhushan Ashu told Badal that the government could perpetrate "as much injustice as they wanted" but they will continue to stay put till their demand for a debate on the no-confidence motion was met.
Meanwhile, the personal staff of the protesting Congress MLAs could be seen bringing clothes, water, food and medicines, including injections, for them.
The protesting MLAs claimed that a lot of restrictions were imposed by the security staff in bringing clothes, food and medicines inside the Assembly complex.
Though fans and lights were switched on, the air-conditioners were not, they further claimed.
Earlier in the day, four women Congress MLAs -- ArunaChaudhary, Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, Karan Kaur Brar and HarchandKaur -- who spent the night in the House, came out of the Assembly.
Ashu said, "We will continue to stay here till our demand was met."
The no-confidence motion moved by the Congress against the SAD-BJP government was defeated by a voice vote yesterday amid acrimonious scenes.
After the Assembly was adjourned by the Speaker yesterday, the Congress MLAs remained in the House and several of them even spent the night there.
Earlier, electricity was switched off but was later turned on by the Assembly staff and the MLAs received refreshments from their staff at night.
The House was not sitting today on account of Eid-ul-Zuha and the proceedings will resume tomorrow.
The no-confidence motion, admitted on September 8, was moved on several grounds, including "failure of the state government to protect the interests of Punjab on the SYL canal issue, deteriorating law and order situation in the state, emergence of mafia groups, rampant corruption, deteriorating fiscal position of the state and failure in apprehending the culprits behind the Bargari sacrilege case".
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Channi announced that the sit-in at the Assembly hall would continue till Wednesday.
Rejecting the appeal of the chief minister to vacate the house, he said Badal approached them with "empty hands" and without any proposal and described the visit as a "political stunt" and a "mere photo opportunity".
"The chief minister came with an official photographer but without any proposal on the discussion on the current issues regarding the state," he alleged.
