
Chandigarh: AAP MLA and leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Khaira today
urged Speaker Rana Kanwarpal Singh to issue breach of privilege notice
to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for allegedly sharing proceedings of
the Assembly on his Facebook page.
In his complaint to the
speaker, Khaira alleged that the chief minister had shared two clips of
his live speech in the just concluded budget session of the Assembly.
"The
said clips are part of his speech delivered to conclude the discussions
on the Governor's address, on March 27. As we are aware, no proceedings
whatsoever that take place inside the Vidhan Sabha can be shared or
shown on social media," Khaira said in his complaint.
The Bhulath
MLA said he and Lok Insaf Party MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains were facing
breach of privilege notices despite never sharing live proceedings of
the House.
"In my case, I had shared a clip on my Facebook page,
when the House had been adjourned after ruckus last year. I never shared
or showed live proceedings of the assembly, yet I was issued privilege
notice," said Khaira.
Bains had shared on his page an audio
recording of the Vidhan Sabha proceedings, which was recorded from one
of the audio speakers that relay proceedings in the canteen area as well
as party offices of AAP, LIP, SAD-BJP and the Congress, he said.
"But
in the current case, Amarinder Singh has shared the said two clips of
his live speech on his Facebook page, which amounts to clear cut breach
of privilege by him," said Khaira.
He said the opposition supported live coverage of the Assembly proceedings which would bring more transparency in the polity.
"But
until the decision to show the proceedings of the live is taken, I feel
the law of the land should be equally applicable to all whether one is a
MLA or the chief minister," said Khaira.
"Therefore, I request
that he (Amarinder) be issued notice of breach of privilege and his case
be also referred to the Privileges Committee of the Vidhan Sabha for
appropriate action," said Khaira.
PTI