Congress MLAs walk out of Punjab Assembly over absence of Question Hour, Zero Hour

Congress members staged a walkout in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday over there being no Question Hour or Zero Hour in the two-day special session of the House.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa asked what was the purpose of the Vidhan Sabha if no Question Hour or Zero Hour is taken up.

The special session of the Punjab Assembly began here on Monday.

Before walking out of the House, Bajwa said the AAP government had summoned a session nine months ago as well after claiming that 'Operation Lotus', an alleged bid by the BJP to topple the state government, was underway "but no action taken report has been given so far in the matter".

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On this, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan told the Congress leader that an FIR had been registered in the matter and the police are investigating it.

"We should be told who all were involved in that," Bajwa said.

He then pointed out that there is no Question Hour or Zero Hour in the special session, prompting Congress members to raise slogans against the state government and stage a walkout.

Bajwa had written to Sandhwan on Friday seeking tabling of an action taken report on 'Operation Lotus' in the House.

Last year, the AAP dispensation had moved a confidence motion in the assembly after alleging that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore each in a bid to topple Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government as part of its 'Operation Lotus'.