Bajwa, Pargat seek govt sanction to prosecute Gurmeet Ram Rahim

Partap Singh Bajwa, leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, on Monday said the government has been delaying prosecution sanction in a case related to the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib registered against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for almost two years. Along with Bajwa, Congress MLA Pargat Singh too demanded prosecution sanction.

He said that the state police had already prepared a chargesheet long back but the file has been with chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, who also happens to be incharge of the state’s home department. While speaking in the zero hour, the LoP said the house needs longer time and more number of sittings to hold discussions on the contentious matters, such as police action against the peaceful protesters in Bargari and Behbal Kalan who were demanding action over sacrilege, the issue of availability of drugs and drug addiction, law and order and issues concerning farmers.

He added that the total number of sittings of the house since AAP government took over has been only 39 which as per the norms should have been 120. “I had requested the business advisory committee to extend the time so that all members get time to speak. Despite that, it has been decided to have sittings of the house for three days,” he said, adding that if 10 minutes are given to each member, the session will be extended for at least eight or nine days.

According to Bajwa, there are serious issues which need house’s attention, such as resignation by a jail superintendent who had alleged that gangsters are ruling the roost in jails and a television interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in a police station.

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan intervened and said that it depends on the business to be taken up in the house and the business advisory committee, which has members from all parties, decide the tenure of a session. He assured that all members would get time to raise the matters concerning their constituencies.

Bajwa also asked the house to frame a policy for giving time equal opportunity to all members of the house in the media coverage. “Your cameras are negatively biased towards the opposition MLAs. You take close shots when members of the treasury benches address the house and long shots when opposition MLAs are speaking, which is not a fair play,” he added.

Earlier, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira also demanded extension in the house sittings. He recalled the demands by AAP during the Congress regime for longer assembly sessions. Manpreet Singh Ayali of the Shiromani Kali Dal (SAD) also demanded that house be extended for a week, at least.

Before the start of the session, cabinet minister Chetan Singh Joramajra said the time frame for the session has been decided very adequately. “The Opposition are crying hoarse over the number of sittings but they actually don’t want to take part in the proceedings. They want to make a noise and stage a walkout,” he added.