The concluding sitting of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on Tuesday witnessed protests by Congress MLAs, who boycotted the proceedings over the alleged denial of entry to party leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
Khaira was suspended from the remaining sittings of the session on Friday for allegedly making remarks against the dignity of Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan.
As Question Hour began on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa raised the issue with the Speaker, objecting to Congress MLAs being stopped from entering the House, and Sandhwan reportedly clarified that no MLA could be prevented from entering the Assembly unless the member had been suspended from its proceedings.
Dissatisfied with the response, Bajwa walked out of the House. Congress legislators subsequently boycotted the proceedings to register their protest.
Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs staged a protest outside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Wearing black robes and carrying placards, the legislators raised slogans against the ruling party and burnt a broom, AAP's election symbol, accusing the government of failing to address key issues.
The protests also coincided with a heated exchange between former Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and AAP MLA Manvinder Singh Giaspura outside the Assembly.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Kuldeep Singh Randhawa alleged inside the House that Congress MLAs had pushed and jostled his party colleagues outside the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday and the allegation added to the tensions between the ruling party and the opposition during the final sitting.
The developments marked a contentious conclusion to the Assembly session, with the Congress protesting over Khaira's suspension and the alleged restrictions on its legislators, while AAP raised allegations of physical altercations outside the House.