Chandigarh, June 24
The budget session of Punjab began with tributes here today. The House paid tributes to former ministers Tota Singh and Hardeepinder Singh Badal, former MLAs Sukhdev Singh Sukhladi and Shingara Ram Sahungra, Arjuna awardees Gurcharan Singh Bhangu and Hari Chand.
The House also paid tributes to freedom fighters Swaran Singh, Karora Singh and Sukhraj Singh Sandhawalia. The contribution of each of these personalities to the society was remembered. The assembly also mentioned the death of singer Sidhu Musewala.
Just before the start of the session, apart from ministers, almost all AAP MLAs came to meet and greet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Mann went to the opposition bench and met all the opposition MLAs and gave them a warm welcome.
Ganiway Kaur Majithia has also appeared in the House for the first time today. Among the Congress MLAs, prominently absent today were Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Rana Gurjit Singh, besides independent MLA Rana Inderbir Singh.
As soon as the references ended, AAP MLA Jai Kishan Rori suggested to the House that the name of social activist and religious leader Principal Surinder Singh be included in the obituary reference, to which Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan agreed.
Congress MLA Dr Raj Kumar sought the names of those killed in Punjab due to the prevailing law and order and the names of farmers who committed suicide due to debt. This suggestion was ignored.
Even after the meeting ended, CM Bhagwant Mann stood firm and was seen meeting MLAs from across the political spectrum.