Chandigarh, 24 February — The two-day session of the Punjab Assembly commenced in Chandigarh on Monday with obituary references before legislative proceedings.
The House paid tribute to several notable figures, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Bassi, former ministers Dharam Pal Sabharwal and Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, ex-Rajya Sabha member HS Hanspal, and former MLAs Joginder Pal Jain, Sukhwinder Singh Buttar, and Bhag Singh.
Tributes were also extended to artist Jarnail Singh and freedom fighters Kikar Singh, Kehar Singh, and Karnail Singh.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa urged Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to recommend Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, for Manmohan Singh. Following the obituary references, the session was adjourned until 12:30 p.m.
Opposition parties are expected to confront the AAP government over issues including law and order, rising state debt, farmers’ distress, and the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema stated that unemployment, drug abuse, illegal sand mining, and Punjab’s growing fiscal deficit would also be raised.
Cheema also pressed for stricter action against illegal travel agents who exploit individuals seeking to migrate abroad.
The concern follows the recent deportation of three groups of illegal Indian immigrants—mostly from Punjab—from the U.S. after Donald Trump assumed the presidency last month.
Bajwa criticized the AAP government’s governance, pointing to the case of Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was in charge of a department that “did not exist” for 21 months.
A government notification issued last week clarified that the administrative reforms department assigned to Dhaliwal was never officially in existence.
He now oversees only the NRI affairs department.
The last Punjab Assembly session was held in September 2024. Bajwa called for additional sittings to allow for detailed discussions on pressing state matters.
