Ruling MLAs attack Khaira over illegal mining charge

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 29

Aggressive posturing and heated exchanges between the Opposition and Treasury benches marked the Zero Hour proceedings when Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged that all Congress MLAs were involved in illegal sand mining like their predecessors Akali-BJP.

Enraged over the allegation, several Congress MLAs raised their pitch and for the first time in the three-day session took on AAP, especially Khaira, in unison. Khaira later withdrew his allegation during discussion on Bills.

The Akali-BJP MLAs also made their presence felt when they accused both Congress and AAP of links with gangsters and smugglers. They staged a walkout when Congress MLA Kushaldeep Dhillon accused SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal of having met UP strongman and MLA Raja Bhaiya.

The Speaker was enraged at the happenings. He remarked that these (allegations and counter-allegations) were never ending.

At the outset in the Zero Hour, Khaira displayed a full page report by The Tribune on illegal sand mining and asked the CM to order an inquiry into the involvement of his party MLAs in the illegal sand mining.

The Congress MLAs who were largely reticent in the House jumped on their toes and took on Khaira aggressively seeking apology for accusing them of the illegal activity.

Even Brahm Mohindra, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, who hardly loses his cool, turned aggressive and sought an apology from Khaira for accusing all Congress MLAs of wrongdoings. Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who sat next to him, also told Khaira to withdraw his allegations.

Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring too pitched in. He said if news report was the basis for Khaira’s charges, then there were several reports against him also.

Khaira, who was taking on the ruling party single-handedly, was soon joined by his party colleagues, especially Kanwar Sandhu, Aman Arora and Baldev Singh.

Sandhu drew the Speaker’s attention by raking up the issue of political vendetta. He said the Congress had set up a commission to probe vendetta cases during the Akali-BJP regime, but it “is sad that the government itself is indulging in the same”. He cited cases against Khaira and Ropar MLA Amarjit Sandoa.

Not all involved, he says later

Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira later said in the House that he wanted to withdraw remarks (made during Zero Hour) that all Congress MLAs were involved in illegal sand mining. “Many of them are involved… not all of them,” he said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra acknowledged his magnanimity, but Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said it was unfair on Khaira’s part to question their integrity.