Punjab Vidhan Sabha session: Names of 289 farmers who committed suicide included in obituary references

The LoP also said the names of eight young persons who were crushed to death by a truck near Rampura Phull in a road accident and the eight teachers who lost their lives in a road accident due to smog on Ferozepur-Fazilka road recently should also be included. The deputy leader of opposition, Sarbjeet Kaur Manuke also asked for the names of the sewer cleaners to be included too who had died while discharging their duty. All the names were later included by the Speaker.

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The obituary reference also included the names of Naik Bakhtawar Singh who died in an encounter with militants in Naushera sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Sepoy Manjinder Singh who died in the Tral encounter in J&K and Sub-Inspector Kamaljit Singh of BSF who died in sniper firing by Pakistan Army in Poonch sector.

Former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, made his first appearance in the House after the formation of the new government. He sat on the fourth bench in the first row. The President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia were not present in the house on the first day. The house was adjourned for the day after the obituary reference.

The winter session which began today will last till November 29 when it will be adjourned sine die. The short duration of the session has already been criticised by the opposition parties who have demanded an extension. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs met the Speaker a few days back and demanded that the duration of the session be extended and more sittings be held. Ironically, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs have also demanded a longer session. When the SAD-BJP government was in power for ten years, they followed the same pattern of short assembly sessions and at the time the Congress used to protest.