Amid a police crackdown on pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, Congress MLAs on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Assembly over law and order in Punjab while the Akali Dal condemned the invocation of the stringent National Security Act in the case.
As the Question Hour began on the concluding day of the Budget session, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa asked Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan about the adjournment motion moved by his party to discuss law and order.
The speaker told Bajwa that it has been disallowed, angering Congress legislators who stormed to the well, shouted slogans and later walked out of the House.
During the Zero Hour, Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said an "atmosphere of terror" was being created in the state, referring to the police action against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'.
The radical preacher is on the run after police launched a crackdown against his outfit on Saturday and arrested a number of his aides. He fled the police net in his Mercedes vehicle but then switched to a Brezza SUV, officials said.
A viral photo and CCTV footage later showed him riding pillion on a bike wearing a pink turban and black goggles. On Wednesday, police said they have recovered the bike near a canal in Jalandhar.
A police team, including two deputy superintendent of police rank officers, meanwhile reached Jallupur Khera, Amritpal Singh's native village in Amritsar district, and met some of his family members.
In the assembly, Congress leader Bajwa termed as wrong the speaker's decision to disallow the adjournment motion on law and order in the state.
Bajwa asked the chair to give Congress members some time to speak on the matter, but the speaker retorted, "I want to say to you that Question Hour is sacrosanct... People of Punjab will not tolerate this. People are watching you."
The Congress members then rushed to a room near the members' exit, claiming the presence of an 'outsider' but they were stopped by the Vidhan Sabha staff.
Taking a notice of the issue, the speaker said a privilege motion can be considered against those who tried to obstruct the employees from discharging their duty.
During the Zero Hour, SAD's Ayali alleged that many Sikh youths are being implicated in "false cases." "The NSA which has been invoked I understand is completely wrong," he said.
If anybody, be it Amritpal Singh or any other person, has done wrong, action should have been taken under other laws, he said.
On Tuesday, the state government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that NSA has been invoked against Amritpal Singh.
Ayali also condemned the suspension of mobile internet services in parts of the state in the wake of the police crackdown.
The SAD legislator said Sikhs in the country and abroad are concerned about the current situation in Punjab. Several innocent Sikh youths, including from his Dakha assembly, were nabbed in the past few days, Ayali claimed, demanding that "innocent Sikhs" be released.
State BJP president Ashwani Sharma objected to the use of the word "Sikh" by Ayali, saying Sikhs are a brave community. However, he agreed that there should not be any action against innocent persons.
Slamming Amritpal Singh, Sharma said the radical preacher had said he was not a resident of India and does not believe in the country's Constitution and law.
The BJP legislator from Pathankot also sought information on the action taken so far by the government in this matter. Whatever action the state government is taking, it should be strong, he said.
Police said efforts are on to trace Amritpal Singh. A lookout circular and a non-bailable warrant has been issued against the preacher.
"Our efforts are on to arrest him," said a police officer on Wednesday.
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