Two Congress MLAs threatened me: MLA Ashwini Sekhri

Initially the Batala MLA refrained from taking the names of the MLAs who had threatened him but egged on by the SAD-BJP MLAs, led by Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, who rose in his support, Sekhri named the duo.

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The trouble is a fallout of incidents on Wednesday, when Sekhri had started a signature campaign, in a Congress Legislative Party meeting, saying that party MLAs had full faith in the high command. It was in the wake of reports that some Congress MLAs may leave the party to join Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh, who might float a new party.

The campaign was objected to by Giljian who alleged that his signature was wrongly taken on the resolution. He tore the paper leading to war of words with Sekhri.

There was high drama in the house on Thursday when the issue was raised by Majithia during Zero Hour. “It is a very serious matter. An MLA is feeling threatened in the assembly. You are from Majha and I am worried for you, God is watching” said Majithia half in jest, adding that Sekhri had to come to the house wearing a bullet-proof jacket.

What may have begun as a barb by SAD MLAs, who were laughing as they spoke, soon took a serious turn with the Congress MLA himself giving vent to his anger. Sensing his outrage, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal seized the opportunity and asked the Speaker to take cognisance of it.

Caught unaware, the Congress members tried to raise the issue of drugs and entered the well of the house when not allowed to raise it. Raising slogans, the Congress MLAs trooped out of the house to take stock of the situation even as Sekhri had stomped out in anger much earlier and the house was adjourned for 30 minutes by the Speaker.

An uneasy truce

An emergency meeting of the CLP was held after the Sekhri fiasco following which an uneasy truce was brokered between the Batala MLA and Sanjat Singh Giljian who was also present. Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Jakhar, tried to brush off the incident as an internal Congress issue. “We have been able to resolve the misunderstanding. It is a non-issue now,” he said adding that the incident could have been avoided.

Sekhri, meanwhile, said the problem was resolved with the intervention of CLP leader Lal Singh and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.