Countering Punjab governor, CM Mann says assembly session held in June was legal

Amid a tussle between the AAP dispensation in Punjab and the Raj Bhavan over various issues, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday dismissed the governor’s claim that convening of the assembly session in June was ”patently illegal”, saying the government was well within its rights to do so.

At a press conference here, Mann was asked when the Monsoon session of the assembly would be held.

In response, the chief minister said, ”It will be held, who can stop that.” He then added, ”Last session (in June) was also legal. Governor may be having some advisor…otherwise the (budget) session (held earlier) had not been prorogued but (adjourned) sine die and it could have been convened anytime.” Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had said last month that the government calling the two-day assembly session in June was ”patently illegal”.

In a letter to Mann last month, the governor had said, ”For your information, opinion has been taken from one of the leading constitutional experts. Crux of the opinion is attached for your knowledge, which clearly mentions that the House so summoned was patently illegal…” In his letter, the governor had also attached a copy of the legal opinion and stated that it is within the speaker’s power to adjourn the meeting of House sine die, but once the business of the meeting is over and nothing remains to be transacted, the meeting cannot be artificially kept alive.

Asked about Purohit’s remark on him not attending the ”At Home” reception on Independence Day, Mann downplayed the issue saying it does not matter as the governor is elder to him.

On Wednesday, the governor said the chief minister’s decision not to attend the ”At Home” was his own ”discernment” and perhaps he was afraid of the ceremonial cannons placed outside the Raj Bhavan.

Purohit was apparently referring to the chief minister’s speech in the special session of the Punjab assembly in June in which he had mentioned that cannons are installed outside the Raj Bhavan to ”scare people away”.

Asked about speculations about a cabinet reshuffle, Mann said the buzz is only in the media and there is no proposal for any reshuffle.

Meanwhile, Mann said that a woman from Sangrur who was recently seen in a video crying and seeking help to return home from Malaysia is being brought back soon.

He also recalled that when he was the AAP MP from Sangrur, he had facilitated the return of many Punjabis who were stuck in foreign countries due to various reasons.

”Our government is acting tough against unscrupulous agents who send youth abroad by promising something while reality turns out something else,” he said.

”We are going to issue a WhatsApp number in a day or two to facilitate (the return of) anyone stuck abroad due to any reason,” he said.

He also said his government will open a ”Punjab Help Centre” at the arrival section of the Delhi international airport to facilitate travellers who may need any kind of information.

On the upcoming nagar panchayat polls, he said a cash incentive of Rs 5 lakh will be given to a village whose sarpanch is unanimously elected.

He said it is better if sarpanches are unanimously elected as it fosters brotherhood in villages.