Sandhwan says some MLAs defamed Chair with remarks, House recommends probe

Earlier, Sandhwan said he wanted to bring an issue to the notice of the House which concerns the dignity of the Chair. “Some members of the Vidhan Sabha have written on social media platform X that a web channel has been stopped from covering the proceedings of the House. In this matter, the journalist associated with the web channel, ABC, put up a WhatsApp status that his channel has not been issued passes to cover the proceedings despite having applied for the same,” he said.

Sandhwan said that 195 journalists have been given passes to cover the session on the recommendations of the Press Gallery Committee. He added no application for issuing passes was rejected. “If anyone did not get a pass, then he could have approached the Press Gallery Committee. Without verifying facts, certain members of this House and media have defamed the Chair and have impinged upon the dignity of the House,” he said, adding that the government has allowed live telecast of the proceedings of the House and “how can some specific channel be stopped from covering the proceedings?”

The Speaker said no member of the House should make statements in public without being sure of the facts. “Otherwise it will be like swinging a sword with eyes closed,” he said and added that in future due care should be taken with regard to such statements else strict action will be taken.
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said a privilege motion should be moved against members of the House who have made defamatory statements.

“It is our duty to uphold the dignity of the House. Irresponsible statements are made on social media without verifying the facts and getting versions of the other side. The names of such persons should be made public and strict action should be taken whether they be from Treasury Benches or Opposition. Exemplary punishment should be meted out to them so that in future is known what is the outcome of telling lies,” said Cheema.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa supported the demand for referring the matter to the Privileges Committee, and said it was wrong to have cast aspersions on the Chair. “You are the most honourable person and it is due to you that the sanctity of the House can be maintained. We are totally with you on this issue because the dignity of this House has to be maintained,” Bajwa said.

On February 24, Bajwa had posted a video message on his Facebook account alleging favouritism in allowing coverage of the House proceedings, and that journalists who favoured the government were sitting inside the Vidhan Sabha complex while those who did not toe the government line were standing outside the main gate.

Referring to “Kejri media” covering government affairs in Punjab and equating it with “godi media in Delhi”, Bajwa said in his video message everybody should be allowed to cover the proceedings, especially independent media. He also requested the Speaker that passes should be made for everybody so that people can know about the reality of the government.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Pargat Singh were among the Congress MLAs who put up social media posts blaming the Speaker for not issuing a pass to the web channel. While Khaira was absent from the House on account of proceedings in the Supreme Court concerning an NDPS Act case against him, Pargat Singh was present but made no comments on the developments.