Chandigarh, July 11 — The ongoing two-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has been extended by another two days, with proceedings now scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The extension was announced on Friday by Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan as the session resumed amid tense political exchanges.
Asserting control over the conduct of the House, the Speaker instructed MLAs not to record videos of the Assembly proceedings. “Delete any videos if you’ve made them. We will provide official footage if needed,” he said firmly from the Chair. He also reiterated that since this is a special session, there would be no Question Hour or Zero Hour.
The session saw immediate disruption with Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa leading Congress MLAs out of the House in protest. Moments earlier, Bajwa had walked to the Well of the House, accusing the government of remaining silent on alleged fake encounters by the police.
“There are false encounters taking place in Punjab, and this government refuses to speak a word about it,” Bajwa said before exiting the chamber with his colleagues.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema responded sharply to the walkout, criticising the Opposition for avoiding legislative debate. “Instead of holding press conferences, they should participate in the House discussions. The Opposition is obstructing our efforts to fight gangsters and drug syndicates,” Cheema said on the floor.
The special session, called amid growing political tension in the state, has thus far been marked more by conflict than consensus, with major issues of law enforcement, civil liberties, and political accountability clashing in full view.
