AAP MLAs on House panels, SAD fumes

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the Congress government had played a cruel joke on the people of Punjab by appointing five legislators who had resigned from the AAP as members to various House committees of the Vidhan Sabha.

The SAD president, in a press release, said “We have been claiming that the legislators were used against the SAD by the Congress and functioned as a B team of the Congress. Speaker Rana KP Singh has not disqualified the MLAs — HS Phoolka, Sukhpal Khaira, Master Baldev Singh, Nazar Singh Manshaiya and Amarjit Singh Sandoa — but has appointed them to various House committees. This is against all rules of ethics and morality. The SAD will use all means at its disposal to oppose this undemocratic decision”.

The SAD chief said Sukhpal Khaira was appointed member of the Committee on Papers to be laid on the table of the House, Master Baldev Singh of the Committee on Government Assurances, Nazar Singh Manshahiya of the Library Committee, HS Phoolka of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Amarjit Sandoa of the Committee on Petitions.

Urging the Speaker to review his decision immediately, Badal said the MLAs had violated the anti-defection law by forming new parties. They had contested on new symbols and two of them had even joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. “They should bedisqualified and debarred from contesting elections for six years,” he added.