CHANDIGARH, MAY 1 — The Bharatiya Janata Party organized a parallel “People’s Assembly” in Sector 37 on Friday, creating a symbolic legislative floor to counter the official special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Led by state president Sunil Jakhar and senior leader Ashwani Sharma, the event mirrored the formal assembly structure, featuring a speaker’s chair and organized seating for party leadership.
Former Deputy Speaker Charanjit Atwal presided over the mock proceedings, which commenced with the national anthem. Organizers stated that the session would bypass traditional parliamentary segments like question hour to focus on immediate public grievances. BJP leaders affirmed that the gathering was a necessary response to the current political climate in Punjab.
During the session, Sunil Jakhar expressed deep concern regarding the state’s drug epidemic, asserting that over 1,600 drug-related fatalities have occurred under the present administration. He cited various anecdotal cases from grieving families and maintained that the state’s security situation was deteriorating. Jakhar also referenced high-profile gang violence, stating that the state’s governance was effectively “running on Ram Bharose.”
Partap Singh Bajwa, while present at the event, stated that the daily minimum wage for unskilled labor in Punjab should be raised to at least ₹600 to match neighboring Haryana. He also questioned the validity of the Aam Aadmi Party’s confidence motion, asserting that internal instability is rising within the ruling party. Bajwa claimed that approximately 50 AAP legislators have been in communication with the BJP.
Senior leaders including Tarun Chugh and Vijay Sampla affirmed that the parallel assembly served as a platform for issues they felt were being ignored in the Vidhan Sabha. They stated that the symbolic session was intended to highlight the intensifying political confrontation between the opposition and the state government on International Labour Day.
