Another run-in with Punjab Governor likely as AAP to call House meeting

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, October 9

The Aam Aadmi Party government seems to be headed for yet another run-in with Governor Banwarilal Purohit by deciding to convene a meeting of the Vidhan Sabha session rather than seeking permission from the latter for holding a fresh session of the Vidhan Sabha.

This is exactly what the state government had done while convening the previous special session of the Vidhan Sabha in June. The Governor had later declared the session as breach of law and four important Bills passed in the session - the Sikh Gurdwaras Amendment Bill, 2023, the Punjab Police Amendment Bill, 2023, the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, and the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 - are still languishing in Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Highly placed sources in the government as well as the Vidhan Sabha say that since the fourth session of the Vidhan Sabha (that began in March) has not been prorogued, the Speaker can call a meeting of the Vidhan Sabha on his own and no permission is required to be taken from the Governor. The meeting is to be called, as discussed by the Cabinet last week, on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal issue, pay homage to MS Swaminathan and protest against the use of central agencies by the BJP-led Centre against its political adversaries.

“The Governor will be informed of the meeting being proposed. There are several precedents to this. The Telangana Government had convened the eighth session of the Vidhan Sabha on September 17, 2021, which was not prorogued. In between, meetings of the Vidhan Sabha had been held in February and September 2022 and January and July 2023. Even during the eighth session of the Lok Sabha, a meeting was reconvened after the session was adjourned sine die, but had not been prorogued,” said a senior government officer.

He added that the two parts of the Lok Sabha session (preceding and following the period of adjournment of the Lok Sabha sine die) was treated as one session, divided into two parts.

In June, a special sitting of the Vidhan Sabha was convened, which the Governor had termed breach of law and procedure. He had objected that if the session was an extension of the Budget session, proceedings had to be restricted to Budget-related business. The special sitting being proposed by the government next week is also being convened as part of the fourth (Budget) session.

This special sitting of the Vidhan Sabha is now going to be held in the middle of the next week. Highly placed sources in the government have told The Tribune that because of the announcement of elections in five states today, state leaders will head for poll-bound Madhya Pradesh from Tuesday. Also, the Governor is due to begin his three-day visit to border districts from Wednesday.

Top sources in the government say that the exact date of the meeting will be decided by the CM, in consultation with the Speaker, in a day or two.

No nod required

Since the fourth session of the Vidhan Sabha (that began in March) has not been prorogued, the Speaker can call a meeting of the Vidhan Sabha on his own and no permission is required from the Governor

SYL on agenda

The meeting is being called to discuss the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal issue, to pay homage to MS Swaminathan and protest against the use of central agencies by the BJP-led Centre against its political adversaries

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#Aam Aadmi Party AAP #Banwarilal Purohit #Sutlej Yamuna Link canal SYL