Congress walks out over ‘false claims’

Led by Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,Congress MLAs protested against the alleged failure of the government in all spheres. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was not present during the address of the governor.

Bhattal,while speaking to the media outside the House,said,“We have staged a walkout against the misleading and false claims of the government. They did not inform our legislatures properly about the session. As per norms,a 15-day advance notice has to be given to MLAs,but they want to hurry through the session.”

In his speech,meanwhile,Patil sought restructuring of the Centre-state relations,besides transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to the state. “The present formula for distribution of resources and devolution of Central funds to states needs a drastic recasting in favour of the state. This government demands more powers for states and greater share for them in Central taxes.”

Demanding immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab “without any further delay”,Patil said,“Punjab presents the only instance in India where a parent state has been deprived of the capital city after reorganisation along linguistic lines.” Punjabi-speaking areas left out at the time of reorganisation must also be transferred to Punjab,he added.

Noting that the “emotional wounds caused by the traumatic events,including the inhuman massacre of innocent Sikhs in 1984 still cry for a healing touch,” Patil said this government considers it a “great travesty of justice that the main culprits,identified by various judicial commissions and independent judicial and civil rights organisations and eminent persons,have been allowed to go scot-free.”