Won’t let assembly function till Speaker is removed: SAD

Chandigarh, June 22 (IANS) Dubbing assembly Speaker Rana K.P. Singh as "goonda Rana KP", Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said his party will not allow the house to function till he is removed or he apologises for the ruckus in the house during the day.

The Akali leader said Thursday's incidents in the assembly wherein turbans of AAP legislators were tossed and some opposition lawmakers were beaten up by the watch and ward staff is "an insult to the Sikh community".

"Rana K.P. acted like a 'goonda' (ruffian) and insulted Sikh religion and culture. We will submit a formal complaint against him with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, besides launching a movement to force him to quit," Badal told the media here.

Two AAP legislators, including a woman, were carried out on stretchers and rushed to a government hospital here after they were injured during the melee.

Badal said it was condemnable that while the Speaker was doing all this, the Congress members egged him on to be even harsher.

"Besides tossing and trampling on the turbans of two Sikh MLAs -- Manjit Singh Bilaspur and Pirmal Singh -- he also ordered his bouncers to attack the woman MLA.

"Such unprecedented violence ordered, and commandeered by a Speaker in such a ruthless manner, has never occurred in the history of the Punjab assembly," the former Deputy Chief Minister added.

Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Speaker's actions were "premeditated" and that "he was continuously reading out written orders, indicating the Congress had made up its mind to throttle the opposition so that it is not exposed during the debate on the Budget".