You keep telling me I’m handsome but don’t give time to speak: Minister Bhullar

“Honourable Speaker saab you do not give us time to speak in Zero Hour even though we raise our hands to be given a chance so let’s have a talk in Question Hour. The 94 MLAs sitting on this side (treasury benches) have not committed any fault. You must give opposition time to speak but given an opportunity to speak to these 94 MLAs too. The husband of the lady MLAs and wives of our brother MLAs eagerly await to see them speak on TV and raise issues of their constituencies but you do not given them time to speak and instead give time to all opposition MLAs,” he said.

As the AAP MLAs looked on at the Ministers in stunned silence, some with smiles on their faces, the minister went on to air his grievances. “There are some MLAs here who have not got a chance to speak in last three to four sessions. They go back without uttering a word,” he said.

The Speaker tried to play down the piquant situation and asked the minister to sit down saying he was very smart and handsome but the Bhullar was not to be silenced. “You call me smart and try to mollify but I still do not get a turn to speak. I have met you two or three times and have also spoken to you on phone asking for time to be given to speak. You said I should raise my hand to speak and added that I was very handsome. O sohne’ch hee tussi palos lende (you just mollify by saying ‘handsome’),” he said.

The Speaker asked the Minister to sit down and then went on to gently explain the rules of House that Ministers can speak in the House at any time. “You can put across your point whenever you want. Secondly, if you want to run democracy properly then opposition must have its say and treasury is already having its way. It is not important to speak here (in House), it is more important to show the work that has been done. If you still want to say something then say it. There is no point making videos,” said Sandhwan.

But the Minister was not done yet. Laljit Bhullar responded that he was not saying that opposition should not get a chance to speak. “But there should be some protocol that when opposition MLAs walk out during Question Hour they come back in Zero Hour and are again given full time to speak. Those who sit here and talk about issues and listen to the Governor’s address should be given a little time to speak,” he said.

The Speaker interjected by saying that all this was always under consideration and that the time of the House was very precious and if the minister had some important point to raise he should do so. Not to be silenced, the minister again demanded, “Will you give us time to speak in Zero Hour? The time that is the right of the 94 MLAs sitting this side.

By now the Speaker had heard enough and in a sharp voice asked the Minister if he had anything to say regarding the question that had been asked by the MLA earlier else he should sit down or answer the query. This finally brought the to-and-fro him and the minister to a close.