Punjab Cong chief removed by marshals from Assembly

Chaos unfolded in the Punjab Assembly during Wednesday’s session as the state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was physically carried out by marshals after he refused to leave the House. The uproar ensued when Opposition Congress members protested, alleging that Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had curtailed Warring’s speaking time during the budget discussion.

The House witnessed heated scenes as Speaker Sandhwan named Congress MLAs, excluding Abohar legislator Sandeep Jakhar, for disrupting proceedings. In response, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes on the third day of the assembly’s Budget session.

The protest erupted when Warring was informed that his allocated time to speak had ended, and despite Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa’s plea for more time, Sandhwan declined the request. Tensions escalated with heated exchanges between treasury benches and Congress members, leading to the adjournment of proceedings.
After naming Congress members, the Speaker instructed watch and ward staff to remove them from the House. When the session resumed, Warring, from Gidderbaha, refused to leave and sat on the floor. Marshals physically lifted him to enforce his removal.

Sandhwan defended the decision, stating that the Congress was given an additional five minutes beyond the allocated time for budget discussion. This incident follows previous disruptions in the assembly, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presenting a lock to the Speaker to prevent opposition members from leaving during a discussion on the Governor’s address.