Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The ongoing Budget session of the Punjab Assembly witnessed heightened tensions on Tuesday as the ruling AAP targeted Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira over remarks perceived as disrespectful toward women and Dalits.
The dispute erupted during zero hour when Finance Minister Harpal Cheema accused the Congress of being anti-Dalit and anti-women, alleging that its leaders often resort to derogatory language. Khaira’s comments regarding women beneficiaries under the ‘Mukh Mantri Manwab Dhiyan’ scheme triggered protests from treasury bench MLAs, including Inderjit Kaur Mann, who walked into the well of the House, forcing a short adjournment.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa issued an apology on behalf of Khaira. However, AAP MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke moved a condemnation resolution against him, which was supported by Cheema. Despite Khaira not being present in the House, the resolution was passed by voice vote, with backing from SAD MLA Manpreet Ayali and BSP MLA Nachhatar Pal.
Congress MLAs, including Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Rana Gurjeet, argued that Khaira should be heard before any resolution was adopted. On the other hand, AAP MLAs insisted that the remarks themselves warranted immediate condemnation. MLA Amandeep Kaur stated that clarification was unnecessary in light of Khaira’s offensive statements.
The debate also brought up allegations of double standards. SAD MLA Ganieve Kaur reminded the House of previous instances of AAP leaders showing disrespect toward women. Meanwhile, AAP MLA Anmol Gagan Maan accused Congress of making derogatory remarks out of frustration over the ruling party fulfilling key poll promises.
Education Minister Harjot Bains criticised Khaira for a “feudal mindset” and noted that he had stood by his remarks on social media. Congress MLA Aruna Chaudhary and others urged that Khaira be given the opportunity to explain his stance, highlighting procedural fairness and past incidents involving women teachers.
The session reflected the ongoing political friction in Punjab, with AAP pushing for accountability on issues of gender and caste sensitivity, while Congress stressed the importance of due process before passing resolutions against its members.
