Congress stages walkout over police excesses during civic polls

CHANDIGARH: Main opposition Congress today staged a walkout from the Assembly protesting against alleged "police excesses" at the "behest" of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance during the recent civic polls.

During zero hour, leader of opposition Sunil Kumar Jakhar drew the attention the Assembly towards alleged police high-handedness at the behest of the ruling combine during polls to municipal corporations in the state.

The SAD-BJP had swept the civic body polls in the state recently, drubbing the Congress badly.

Referring to the victory of the SAD-BJP alliance during the civic polls, Jakhar said, "it is purely due to police excesses at the behest of the ruling combine".

He said that violence and rigging was held during the civic polls by SAD-BJP activists and police officials.

"It was a sheer murder of democracy," he said seeking a reply from leader of house and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

He said that Badal had been a great votary of democracy during his political career and had even gone to jail during the emergency period to protest against it.

"Badal government should explain that what had happened during the MC polls," he demanded.

Besides this, during the zero hour Congress tried to make its presence felt in the house by raising one or the other question.

He said that it is a matter of shame that the Badal government resorted to misusing the government machinery during elections to civic bodies.

Seeking a reply from Badal, Jakhar reiterated that the SAD-BJP combine won the civic polls with the help of police.

However, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal intervened and told the opposition that it is the prerogative of the minister to either respond to or not to the MLAs questions during the zero hour.

Unrelenting, Jakhar wondered how Badal came to know in advance what was going to be raised during the zero hour.

He was referring to the statement made by Badal yesterday when the Congress raised the issue of power crisis in the state.

Badal advised the opposition members to raise one issue at a time so that he can give a reply.

However, Congress members unsatisfied with the Badal's remarks trooped into the well of the house and staged a demonstration and raised slogans against the government following which the Speaker adjourned the House for around 40 minutes.