Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Punjab Assembly on Monday as the members of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP disrupted the House proceeding by raising slogans against Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for his recent remarks on the Pulwama terror attack.
Heated words were exchanged between Mr. Sidhu and SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia as Akali Dal-BJP members continued to verbally attack the minister during the Question Hour. SAD-BJP MLAs were wearing black badges to register their protest. They were demanding ouster of Mr. Sidhu from the Cabinet.
Amid sloganeering, Mr. Sidhu and Mr. Majithia were seen involved in a verbal duel personally attacking each other even as Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal stood up to present the annual Budget.
While Mr. Majithia repeatedly asking for sacking of Mr. Sidhu for his anti-national statement, the Minister shouted at Mr. Majithia on allegations against him surrounding involvement in drugs trade.
The Speaker asked them not to disrupt the House proceedings but the Akali Dal-BJP members continued to shout slogans. They flashed photographs of Mr. Sidhu hugging the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Speaker K.P. Rana named Akali Dal-BJP members present in the House and asked marshals to escort Akali-BJP MLA's out of the House. The House was then briefly adjourned.
Earlier, before the session started, the Akali Dal-BJP MLAs staged protest outside the Assembly and burnt pictures of Mr. Sidhu hugging the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa, during his visit to Pakistan last year.
“Congress party should come clean on its stance on the Pulwama terror attack. While a unanimous resolution was passed in Punjab Assembly for condemning the Pulwama terror attack, yet Mr. Sidhu is saying Pakistan can’t be blamed,'' said Mr. Majithia, talking to journalists.