Punjab BJP questions govt over House adjournment within few minutes on opening day

Chandigarh: Former Punjab BJP President and Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma on Thursday questioned the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government over the adjournment of the legislative Assembly’s special session within a few minutes for the entire day on its opening day.

He said the government was attempting to avoid scrutiny by the Opposition and questions from the public.

In a statement, Sharma said the deaths of anti-drug activists Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, Gulzar Singh in Sangrur and Bikramjit Singh in Batala over the past month had further shaken the government.

According to him, the government was reluctant to face ordinary people on the ground and was also avoiding questions raised by the Opposition inside the Assembly.

He said that adjourning the special session for the entire day was another attempt to escape accountability on pressing public issues. Sharma also questioned the manner in which the Assembly proceedings were adjourned, pointing out that the agenda for the day had already been finalised.

He said that as soon as the Speaker entered the House, tributes were paid and the proceedings were adjourned for the remainder of the day. Expressing concern over the law and order situation, the BJP MLA alleged that an atmosphere of fear prevailed across Punjab and that people no longer felt safe.

He claimed that instead of prioritising public safety, the police were occupied with protecting their own police stations. The legislator also criticised the government over its handling of state employees’ demands.

He said that despite repeated meetings, employees had not received their full dearness allowance (DA) payments, while demands such as the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) remained unresolved.

Accusing the government of betraying its employees, Sharma said the BJP stood firmly behind their legitimate demands and would extend every possible assistance in their struggle.

He urged the state government to stop avoiding discussions on public issues and instead bring the truth to light in the cases involving the deaths of the three anti-drug activists.

He also called on the government to fulfil its responsibilities towards the people of Punjab and address the outstanding grievances of state employees.

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