CHANDIGARH: The 11-day Punjab budget session on Friday got off to a stormy start as the opposition Congress staged a walkout during governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s inaugural address, while the treasury benches held a symbolic musical protest outside the House. This session is significant as it marks the AAP government’s final full budget before the 2027 assembly elections.
Despite Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria requesting the opposition party’s MLAs to raise issues at the right time, Congress legislators kept shouting slogans against the AAP government and later walked out of the house.
After Kataria started reading out his address on the first day of the Budget Session, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa rose from his seat and highlighted the issue of law and order in the state. Kataria told Bajwa that he will get time to raise such issues. "You have the right to oppose, use it at the right time. This is my request," the governor told Bajwa.
The Congress MLA refused to sit down even as Kataria resumed his address. After some time, the governor again requested Bajwa to use his right to oppose at the right time. Congress MLAs, including Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Sukhwinder Kotli, who were sloganeering against the AAP government, then trooped to the well of the house. About 17 minutes into the session, the Congress MLAs staged a walkout.
Later, talking to reporters outside the house, Kataria said the governor’s address showcases the achievements of the state government, besides talking about its future plans. He said he tried his best to ensure that all MLAs listened to his address. "But perhaps they did not have that intention and that is why they walked out," he said, referring to the Congress MLAs.
Kataria said, "My request even now is that if you raise your issues on the floor of the House, it will be to your advantage, but if you do not use the floor for recording your issues, it is your loss."
Bajwa said they walked out of the house to protest against the alleged failures of the AAP government.
He added that in an unprecedented development in Punjab’s legislative history, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora walked out of the assembly while the Governor’s address was still in progress and held an impromptu press conference. According to Bajwa, the hurried media interaction was clearly aimed at diverting attention and preventing Congress leaders from presenting their views before the media after the party boycotted the address.
"This bizarre spectacle has rarely been witnessed in the legislative history of Punjab. At a time when the Governor was formally addressing the assembly, two senior ministers of the ruling government chose to abandon the House and rush to the media. Such conduct not only reflects confusion within the government but also exposes its inability to defend its own record," Bajwa said.
Meanwhile, outside the assembly, AAP leaders and workers held demonstrations with a wedding band, a symbolic protest against the leader of opposition’s remarks.
Punjab minister Harbhajan Singh demanded an apology from Bajwa as protesters, among them MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, raised slogans against the Congress leader. The protest was held ahead of the budget session.
Commenting on the protest staged by Harbhajan Singh, Bajwa said it was deeply disturbing and raised serious concerns about the breach of security at the Assembly premises.
"It is shameful that in its desperation, the AAP government compromised the security of the Vidhan Sabha by allowing unauthorized persons to enter a restricted and highly sensitive area. This is a grave lapse. I have written to the Governor requesting that an inquiry be ordered so that responsibility can be fixed," Bajwa said.
Arora condemned the Congress MLAs for walking out of the House. He listed the achievements of the AAP government, including giving 60,000 government jobs and action against gangsters and drug smugglers.
Cheema too slammed the Congress MLAs for walking out of the house, despite the governor requesting them twice to listen to his address.
Meanwhile, the Congress staged a massive demonstration against CM Mann and the AAP government for its failure to fulfill its commitments to the people. The party specially mentioned the promise of Rs 1000 every month to women, which has not been kept and demanded that the government should pay it with four-year arrears.
Party workers gathered outside the Congress Bhawan and marched towards the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, but they were detained by the Chandigarh Police.