Punjab Assembly passes resolution on expediting SGPC poll process

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 14

The Punjab Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution on expediting the process of holding elections to the SGPC and authorised the CM to meet the Union Home Minister in this regard.

MLA HS Phoolka urged CM Capt Amarinder Singh to meet the Home Minister to get the elections to the SGPC expedited.

Amarinder said he would meet the minister, urging him to hold early polls of the SGPC, which had been delayed for three years.

Akali MLA NK Sharma said it should first be made clear if Phoolka is a member of the House or not, since he had resigned.

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu jumped to the rescue of Phoolka, saying Phoolka would go down in history for the service he had rendered for Sikhs.

Akali BJP MLAs got up and started shouting slogans.

Harpal Cheema, Leader of Opposition, said the Akali Dal members were crying foul on the resolution for having early elections to the SGPC as they had grabbed the Sikh body for political gains.

Earlier, the Shiromani Akali Dal asked for adjournment motion on the issue of "farm distress" and "unfulfilled promises" to farmers by the government, as Zero Hour began.

Speaker Rana KP refused to allow the adjournment motion, saying the mandatory two-hour notice was not given before the motion was moved.

Akali MLAs Parminder Dhindsa and Bikram Singh Majithia denied the Speaker’s contention, saying the notice was given on Wednesday night.

The Speaker said the rules stated that the notice could have been received only by the secretary of the House. The Akali Dal members said they gave the notice to an employee who, the Speaker said, is not eligible to receive the notice.