Mann moves trust motion, Cong MLAs suspended amid ruckus

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann moved a confidence motion in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday amid vehement protests by the Congress MLAs, prompting Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to direct that they be marshalled out. “I request the (Congress) members to go out. I order the marshals to lead the Congress MLAs out of the House,” he said.
The pandemonium led to three adjournments of short durations and the trust vote could only be brought after the Congress MLAs left the House.
The AAP government stuck to its decision to move the confidence motion – accusing the BJP of ‘luring’ its MLAs – despite a standoff with Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit last week over calling a special assembly session only for the number test. The tentative list of legislative business conveyed to the governor’s office for the second proposed session had not specified any details about the confidence motion.
Leader of Opposition (LOP) Partap Singh Bajwa accused the AAP government of “challenging the powers of the governor.” Earlier, the Speaker told the House that voting on the motion will take place on October 3.