Chandigarh, March 21 — Punjab Congress legislators staged a walkout from the assembly on Friday, protesting the police assault on a serving army colonel and his son in Patiala, along with the crackdown on farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
The walkout occurred during the governor’s address on the opening day of the budget session. Barely a few minutes into the speech, Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa interrupted Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking his attention.
When the governor continued reading, ignoring Bajwa’s remarks, Congress members entered the well of the House, raising slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The legislators carried placards accusing the Bhagwant Mann-led government of betraying farmers. After shouting slogans for several minutes, they walked out in protest.
Earlier, Bajwa demanded a judicial inquiry into the March 13 incident, where 12 Punjab Police personnel allegedly assaulted Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his 22-year-old son, Angad.
“We demand an inquiry by a sitting or retired high court judge into the incident,” Bajwa told reporters before heading into the assembly.
