CHANDIGARH: Punjab assembly’s special session on May Day descended into bedlam after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira accused chief minister Bhagwant Mann of coming drunk to the House, triggering heated exchanges between the ruling and opposition benches.While Congress MLAs demanded alcometer and dope tests on all the MLAs present in the assembly, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa called Khaira’s accusation “very serious”, and “if true, a black day for democracy.”Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema termed the allegation false and accused Khaira of “misleading” his own party to divert attention from a land grab case against him. That didn’t stop BJP and SAD from demanding Mann’s resignation.The ruckus was preceded by a heated back and forth between Khaira and Mann.The CM took exception to Khaira using the mobile phone when Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out a resolution proposing enhancement of wages of the working class on Labour Day, for which the special session was primarily called. Khaira hit back at the CM and the treasury benches, accusing them of targeting him unnecessarily. Cheema demanded action against Khaira, alleging that he “always tried to disturb the house with his body language”After some back and forth, discussions resumed on the resolution. But things reached a flashpoint when chief minister was leaving the House. Khaira stood up and alleged that Mann had come to the assembly in an inebriated state. The CM turned back, and a heated exchange followed before Mann left the assembly.Immediately after that, Bajwa demanded that the doors be shut and alcometer tests conducted on all MLAs. “An honourable member has levelled a very serious charge on the head of the state. If it is true, there cannot be a worse day than this,” Bajwa said.Congress MLAs trooped to the well of the House, shouting slogans, and then walked out.The CM returned to the House when the session resumed at 3pm. The House was, however, adjourned within 10 minutes following protest by Congress MLAs after the Speaker turned down a written request by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) for “immediate alcometer and dope testing of the CM and all MLAs during the ongoing session” by a team from PGI-Chandigarh.When the House reassembled, the CM was present for the discussions and made the concluding address on the resolution. He then tabled a confidence motion.BJP state president Sunil Jakhar demanded Mann’s resignation, saying, “After his conduct in today’s assembly session, CM Mann has completely lost the moral right to remain in office. We will meet the Governor and tell him that Bhagwant Mann is unfit for the position.”Even before the assembly session, Jakhar had in a post on X demanded breathalyser tests for leaders entering the assembly. “Many faces can get unmasked if a breathalyser test is conducted,” he posted in Punjabi. Taking a dig at AAP-led govt, he said. “It would have been better if govt had conducted an alcohol test instead of a floor test.”SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal too demanded the CM’s resignation. In a written statement, he said: “Punjabis are shocked that their chief minister has insulted the august house as well as their mandate in this manner.”Demanding a probe, Badal said it was “a matter of concern that Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan did not rise up to the occasion to protect the dignity of the house by taking appropriate action, including subjecting the chief minister to the required medical tests.”Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked the CM to clarify on the charges levelled against him.
