Governor thwarts Bhagwant Mann's plan to prove majority; opposition welcomes

Chandigarh/New Delhi: The opposition parties Wednesday hailed the Punjab governor's move thwarting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's plan to call a special assembly session, saying he prevented the AAP government from “sabotaging the constitutional and legislative practices”.

The AAP government in Punjab had summoned a special session of Vidhan Sabha to bring a confidence motion.

Acting on a legal advice, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday withdrew his order of summoning the special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday (September 22), citing absence of specific rules regarding convening assembly for considering a “confidence motion only”.

The decision came after Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma gave representations that there was no legal provision to convene a special session to move 'confidence motion' only, in favour of the state government, according to a letter written by the office of principal secretary to governor.  

The BJP termed the governor's move as an "appropriate and constitutional decision".

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh accused the Aam Aadmi Party of trying to use the assembly for its "selfish political purposes", claiming that its house of lies is crumbling and its credibility is falling.

In a statement, Chugh said the assembly rules provide for calling session to discuss a 'no confidence motion' but there is no provision for summoning a session for debating a 'confidence motion'.

He said, "The procedure for a no-confidence motion is clearly laid out in the rule book. I will ask AAP leaders to explain that under what provisions the assembly session was called to discuss a confidence motion."

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also welcomed the governor's move for preventing the AAP government from “sabotaging the constitutional, democratic and legislative practices and procedures”.

“It is obvious that it was a drama from day one and good that curtains have been pulled down on their theatre of absurdity at the right time,” said Warring.

He said this (AAP) government has made a "joke of governance and the constitutional and legislative procedures" and the governor has done well to correct it”.

The PCC president hoped that the AAP government would realize and learn that constitutional governance does not run on whims and fancies but set and prescribed rules and regulations.

“Just that you felt like summoning the House and seeking to prove something you were never asked to prove does not mean you are allowed a free run,” he said.

Warring pointed out that while the AAP was alleging that its legislators were being approached with massive bribes to desert the party, it was not prepared to reveal the names of people or the phone numbers from which they received the calls.

"This made it more than obvious that it was cock and bull story conceived by the AAP to divert public attention from its failures," said Warring in a statement.

Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the governor stopped the AAP government for setting up “wrong precedents".

“The country will not run on what (Arvind) Kejriwal says. After they tried to violate rules and procedure of Punjab Vidhan Sabha and tried to cross 'Lakhsman Rekha', the governor intervened and aptly played his role,” said Sharma.

“Nobody is above the Constitution,'' he said while accusing the AAP of never following the same.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab BJP had decided to boycott the special session of the Vidhan Sabha.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal too hailed the governor's move, saying it will save crores of rupees of the state exchequer.

“We welcome the decision as it saved crores of rupees of public exchequer on a meaningless AAP PR exercise,” said Badal.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the governor's move saved wastage of public money which Bhagwant Mann and AAP convener Kejriwal wanted to waste just for a “political gimmick”.

Majithia said though the decision of the governor has saved the public exchequer but a detailed inquiry is needed to expose real culprits of conspiracy which the AAP had been claiming.

He said as per claims of AAP, its MLAs were approached by the BJP and this happened in Chandigarh. “Thus jurisdiction of the crime becomes Chandigarh and as Administrator of Chandigarh, the governor should issue requisite orders for detailed inquiry,” Majithia said.