Congress MLAs find mics switched off when they seek to corner govt on law and order, drugs, illegal mining, OPS

Punjab's Vidhan Sabha witnessed a peculiar incident on the concluding day of the budget session, where microphones of Congress MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, were switched off on several occasions. The Congress members attempted to raise issues related to law and order, drug menace, illegal mining, pending Dearness Allowance (DA), and restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS). However, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan disallowed their attempts, and the microphones of the Congress MLAs remained switched off.

The incident occurred during the Zero Hour, when Bajwa raised the issue of Gurjit Singh Khalsa, who has been sitting atop a water tank in Samana for over a year, demanding an anti-sacrilege law. Bajwa also demanded that at least two hours be allocated for discussions on law and order and drug menace in the budget session. However, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused Bajwa of being absent from the Business Advisory Committee meeting, where the agenda for the House was discussed.

As Bajwa sought to respond to Cheema, his microphone remained switched off. Similar incidents occurred when Bajwa raised the issue of rampant illegal mining and when he intervened during an AAP MLA's question regarding roads damaged due to highway construction by NHAI. In both cases, Bajwa's microphone was not switched on when he attempted to reply to the ministers.

The incident has sparked controversy, with the Congress party accusing the Speaker of suppressing their voices and not allowing them to raise important issues. The incident has also raised questions about the functioning of the Vidhan Sabha and the role of the Speaker in allowing or disallowing discussions on important issues.