Punjab govt-Governor showdown: Assembly session likely to be called

The AAP government in Punjab is likely to call the Assembly session again, and the matter will be discussed in the state cabinet here on Thursday.

Asked if the state government would call the session again, cabinet minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal asserted, “Definitely, everything will happen, the session will be held. It is a government of the people. You (reporters) will soon come to know when the session will be held, he told media after participating in the meeting of AAP legislators.”

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chaired the meeting of AAP legislators at the Vidhan Sabha complex on Thursday to discuss the next strategy. A meeting of the Punjab Cabinet will be held here. Meanwhile, the AAP legislators began a peace march from Vidhan Sabha
complex to the Governor’s residence.

In an embarrassment to the AAP government in Punjab, Governor Banwarilal Purohit had on Wednesday thwarted the Bhagwant Mann-led regime’s plan to summon a special assembly session to bring a confidence motion.

The Governor withdrew an earlier order calling the special session on Thursday, saying it had sought legal opinion after the Congress and the BJP approached the Raj Bhavan arguing that the House rules did not allow it.

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While AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and the Punjab chief minister slammed the Governor for not allowing the Assembly session, saying it raises a big question about the countrys democracy, the opposition parties hailed Purohit for preventing the Mann government from sabotaging the constitutional and legislative practices and procedures.

The AAP government in Punjab had sought the session to bring a confidence motion, days after it accused the BJP of trying to topple its government.

(With Agency inputs)