Amarinder asks Badal to spell out agenda for special session

With SAD-BJP government deciding to hold a special Assembly session on November 16, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Monday asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to spell out the agenda for the sitting.

The former Punjab CM also demanded an assurance that any new legislation on SYL issue, passed during the session, would be approved by the Governor and BJP at the Centre.

Reacting to Badal’s appeal to the Congress to participate in the special session, Amarinder said in the absence of a clear agenda, Congress could not take a stand on attending it.

The Punjab Congress chief said if the Badal government was not ready to spell out the special session’s agenda it should also join the Congress MLAs in resigning from the Assembly and call early elections in the state.

“Let there be elections to the Punjab Assembly next month,” said Amarinder, reiterating his party would go all out to resolve the SYL issue in the state’s interest once it is in power with two-thirds majority.

He said his party was ready to extend all possible support to the government in the matter of protection of Punjab’s water.

He wanted to know if the Akali government had taken the approval of the Governor, as well as its ally - the BJP - to bring out a new legislation on the SYL to protect the water rights of the people of Punjab.

While the Punjab Congress had always supported any government move to save the water of the state, no decision could be taken on participation in the special session without clarity on the agenda and an assurance that any new legislation would be approved by the Governor, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president said.

He said the Governor was yet to give his approval to the De-acquisition Bill passed during the last session of the Assembly with the support of the Congress.

He said Badal should clarify how he proposes to convince the BJP and the Governor to accept the same.