Akali MLAs ride to Punjab Assembly on bullock carts

Ruchika M. Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 4

MLAs of the AAP on Thursday staged a walkout from the Punjab Assembly over alleged withholding of implementation of 85th amendment of the Constitution, by the bureaucrats.

They protested in the Well of the House and raised slogans.

The issue was raised by Akali Dal MLA Baldev Singh.

Earlier,  MLAs of the Akali Dal rode to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in bullock carts. This was in protest against the high taxes on petrol and diesel.

Dhillon while speaking on this issue said the SAD was ready to join the state government and approach the Centre to reduce the prices of petroleum products.

“We are even ready to go to Delhi and hold a protest on this issue. However, before this is done the Congress government must come to the aid of farmers and the common man by reducing VAT on petrol and diesel”. He said the VAT of 27.5 per cent of petrol and 17.5 per cent on diesel was amongst the highest in the country.

Bikram Singh Majithia told the press that it was finance minister Manpreet Badal and chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s responsibility to reduce the steep VAT being imposed on petroleum products in Punjab. He said instead of doing this the Congress government was playing a fixed match with the centre as each hike in prices of petroleum products resulted in a similar hike in VAT.

“Instead of tackling this issue, the state government is trying to shift its responsibility to the Centre,” he added.

Meanwhile, the opposition on Wednesday dubbed the Governor's address in the Punjab assembly as a "bundle of lies" and attacked the Congress-led government over its alleged unfulfilled poll promises.

Participating in the discussion on the Governor's address on the third day of the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly here, legislators of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lambasted the Amarinder Singh-led regime for “not fulfilling” poll promises like debt waiver, elimination of drug menace, jobs for each household and cheaper power.

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