Punjab To Move SC Over Guv Denying Nod For 3 Finance Bills, Calling Assembly Session 'Illegal': CM Mann

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann announced his government's intention to approach the Supreme Court against Governor Purohit’s letter denying the nod for three finance Bills.

File Photo of Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared on Friday that his government will take the matter to the Supreme Court in response to the Governor's denial of approval for three bills slated for presentation in the state assembly's two-day session. The house was subsequently adjourned sine die, marking an abrupt halt to proceedings on the very first day of the session. In a meeting with the Speaker of the Assembly, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Chief Minister Mann firmly asserted that none of the bills would be tabled in the House. He urged the Speaker to adjourn the assembly sine die to avoid escalating tensions with the Governor, news agency PTI reported.

According to PTI, CM Mann stated, "I do not want that any tussle with the Governor escalates further. I request you that we will not table any bill until we ensure that this session is legal and the Governor will have to give all approvals to bills and sign them."

He further announced their intention to approach the Supreme Court in the upcoming days against Governor Purohit’s letter denying the nod for three finance Bills which are to be tabled.

"I request you that we will not table any Bill till we ensure Punjabis that this session is legal, and the governor will have to give all approvals (to Bills) and also sign them," CM Mann remarked.

Following the Chief Minister's request, a resolution to adjourn the assembly sine die was proposed and subsequently endorsed by the House. 

Punjab Governor's Denial Of Approval To CM Bhagwant Mann

In a recent flare-up between the Raj Bhavan (Governor's residence) and the AAP government, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had written to Chief Minister Mann, withholding his approval for the three bills. Governor Purohit recommended that the Bhagwant Mann government consider convening either a monsoon or winter session, instead of continuing it as an extension of the budget session.

He cautioned that if the government proceeded with the session, which he deemed patently illegal, he would be compelled to consider an appropriate course of action, potentially involving reporting the matter to the President.

Disorderly scenes unfolded earlier in the assembly as Congress members interrogated the Speaker regarding the legality of the session. These queries were founded on the observations articulated by Governor Purohit. Sandhwan, as the Speaker, affirmed the legal status of the two-day session. He stated, "If the session is being held, it is a legal session."

However, the Congress members persisted with their questions, drawing attention to the Governor's letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which described the session as illegal. The Speaker, in response, emphasised that he had not received any communication from the Governor.

More On It: Chaos In Punjab Assembly As Congress Calls Session Illegal After Guv's 'Precarious Course' Remark

Undeterred by the Governor's contention that the session was illegal, the AAP government proceeded with the session. The Governor's secretariat had previously communicated that the October 20-21 session, presented as an extension of the Budget Session, was bound to be illegal, rendering any business conducted during it unlawful.

On the opening day of the session, members paid their respects to recently departed leaders and notable personalities, including former Chief Election Commissioner MS Gill and renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan. Tributes were also offered to Agniveer Amritpal Singh, whom Chief Minister Mann pledged to honour as a martyr following a controversy over the Army's refusal to accord a military funeral to the soldier.

Amritpal Singh, serving with a battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in Poonch sector, tragically lost his life on October 11. The army maintained that he had taken his own life while on sentry duty and, consequently, military honours were not extended to his funeral.

The House also paid respects to a range of other individuals who had passed away between the previous session held in June and the commencement of the current session. Their contributions to various fields were acknowledged, and a two-minute silence was observed in their memory.

The session was not without calls for further tributes. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhwinder Kumar requested that the House honour those who had lost their lives in the violence in Manipur and Nuh, Haryana. Similarly, Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal advocated for including the names of those who perished during the recent floods in the state in obituary references.