Chaos in Punjab Assembly: Cheema and Bajwa clash, step out of seats amid heated exchange

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): A heated exchange broke out between Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa during the Punjab Assembly session on Monday. The situation became so heated that the two leaders confronted each other, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings for ten minutes.

Cheema's allegation – Bajwa purchased land near the Dhussi Dam.

During the ongoing debate on Punjab Rehabilitation, Finance Minister Cheema leveled serious allegations against Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa. He alleged that Bajwa purchased land adjacent to the Dhussi Dam in village Phulan and another location in Gurdaspur district. According to Cheema, the previous government spent ₹11.8 million to protect this land, while illegal sand mining continued in the area.

Bajwa counters – Denying the allegations of “collusion with the BJP,” Bajwa said he purchased the land from private individuals and paid the stamp duty in full. He retorted, “Many leaders from your party went to jail in the excise scam, but you were spared because you have a collusion with the BJP.” Bajwa also alleged that the AAP government collects ₹3.5 million per month from each distillery.

During the debate, Congress MLA Avtar Singh Henry Jr. accused Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan of bias, saying he was not allowing the Leader of the Opposition to speak. Meanwhile, the debate between Bajwa and Cheema escalated. The dispute escalated to the point where both leaders left their seats and moved forward, and MLAs from both parties also stood up and moved toward each other. However, the full extent of the debate was obscured due to the microphones being turned off. Seeing the situation deteriorating, the Speaker intervened and adjourned the House for 10 minutes.