Akalis took refuge in Covid to escape voting on farm ordinances: Capt

“The Speaker and I had separately appealed to those MLAs who had come in contact with any infected legislators not to attend the session, but not a single Akali member turned up for the session,” said Amarinder in a statement. It was clearly the Akalis who were running away, he said adding that at no point were Opposition MLAs asked not to attend.

“If the Akalis heeded the advice to stay away from the House on this ground, then why are they continuing with their street protests despite my repeated pleas to all political parties not to indulge in such activities, which endanger the lives of our people,” he asked.

Amarinder also ridiculed the SAD demand for another session of the Vidhan Sabha next month, when the state’s Covid figures are projected to peak. “They could not attend a day’s session because of Covid and want a full-fledged session at a time when the situation is expected to be worse,” he added.

He pointed out that despite several ministers and MLAs testing positive, his government had decided to go ahead with the one-day session to meet the Constitutional requirement in this regard, as was being done by other states. Amarinder cited the example of neighbouring Haryana, which had cut short its original 3-day Assembly session to one day amidst the pandemic crisis after several of their MLAs tested positive.

“Haryana is run by a BJP government and BJP is a part of the same NDA-led government of which the Akalis are a part,” he pointed out, asking the SAD if Haryana was also being undemocratic by truncating their Vidhan Sabha session.

Instead of supporting the state government and strengthening its hands in the fight against the pandemic, the SAD is only interested in promoting their vested political interests, he said.

Meanwhile, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia again hit out at Amarinder, saying he first gave a statement that Akali legislators who had come in contact with MLA Gurpartap Wadala, who tested Covid positive, should not attend the assembly session. “However on the day of the session, the chief minister uttered a white lie saying the SAD MLAs deliberately did not come to the session,” he asked.

He also asked why the CM has gone into seven-day quarantine. “Isn’t he following the same protocol which was followed by the SAD MLAs? If yes, then why he is trying to befool people with malicious lies,” he asked.

Zira attended House despite being Covide positive: SAD

Majithia alleged that Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira put the lives of other legislators at risk by attending the Assembly session despite being coronavirus positive.

Zira had tested positive for the infection after attending the one-day session Friday.

Majithia asked Speaker Rana K P Singh to take note of the risk Congress legislator Zira posed to CM and the entire Vidhan Sabha. He also accused Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu of “facilitating” Zira’s entry into the assembly. He demanded the registration of a criminal case against both.

Majthia, along with SAD legislative party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, said his party expected the Speaker to act in a totally unbiased manner. However, if he justifies the illegal acts of Zira as well as the unbecoming conduct of the health minister, the SAD will be constrained to bring forth a notice for the removal of the Speaker from his chair, he said.

Majithia claimed that Zira had tested for Covid-19 on August 26 at Ferozepur.

Instead of abstaining from attending the assembly session on August 28, Zira allegedly procured a Covid negative report Friday morning on the basis of which he attended the session, alleged Majithia.