Gurpreet Singh :- A one-day special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly was convened on International Labour Day, dedicated to workers and labourers. However, the session sparked a political debate after Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned its relevance.
Bajwa criticised the government, stating that previous special sessions lacked key proceedings like Question Hour and Zero Hour, and did not allow MLAs enough opportunity to raise public issues. He alleged that such sessions had failed to produce meaningful outcomes and raised similar concerns about the current session.
Responding to the criticism, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended the move, saying special sessions have delivered results in the past. He cited the legislation against sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib as an example, adding that it was passed during a special session and later approved by the Governor.
Mann also took a dig at the opposition, questioning whether they intended to participate constructively or boycott the proceedings. He remarked that detailed discussions and questions could be taken up during the Monsoon Session if required.
Explaining the purpose of the current session, the Chief Minister said it was meant as a gesture to honour workers on Labour Day and to hold discussions on labour-related issues.
Later, Bajwa responded by acknowledging that some sessions had yielded positive results but stressed that all legislative procedures, including question-answer sessions, should be properly conducted to ensure effective functioning of the Assembly.
