SAD MLAs walk out of Assembly over tampering with free power to Dalits

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 21

SAD-BJP MLAs staged a walkout during the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly on Thursday over tampering with free power facility to Dalits.

As a mark of protest, they stormed into the Well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

Later, Cooperatives Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, while speaking on the official resolution over declaring Lakshman Singh Dharowali, who had gone to take control of Nankana Sahib from mahants, as a martyr got support from AAP MLA HS Phoolka. MLA Harpal Singh Cheema also extended his support.

Randhawa said he is a nationalist first and his party and religion came later. But when the Akalis pointed fingers at him, he was a Sikh first and Congressman later.

One after the other, Congress MLAs accused the SAD-controlled SGPC of being “selective” in honouring Sikh martyrs. They said that even today the SGPC had “forgotten” to observe Dharowali’s martyrdom day.