New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) The Punjab government’s decision to convene a special session of the Assembly came under sharp criticism on Friday from opposition leaders, who accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of using such exercises to cover up failures rather than address people’s grievances.

Speaking to IANS, Punjab Congress president and MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the AAP government had little to show on the ground despite tall claims.

“Now what do they want to show in this special session? We know they mostly want to hide their failures. They will say we did this and that, but unless people themselves acknowledge that the government has delivered, nothing will change,” Warring remarked.

He alleged that the Mann government had failed miserably in flood management.

“Punjab’s people are saying the government collapsed in handling floods. We will raise all such issues, including where the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) money went. Relief funds were diverted, while the CAG report says Rs 9,000 crore was lying unused. Where has that money gone? These matters need serious discussion,” he added.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also questioned the rationale behind holding repeated special sessions without tangible outcomes.

Talking to reporters, Bajwa said, “I want to ask CM Bhagwant Mann what was the outcome of the previous special sessions that were convened? What results were achieved?”

Citing examples, Bajwa pointed out that in August 2022, the Assembly passed a resolution demanding the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. “What happened after that? Nothing. Every session called by CM Mann has resulted in zero,” he said.

He recalled that another special sitting was convened in October 2022 to discuss ‘Operation Lotus’, amid allegations that the BJP was trying to poach AAP legislators with offers of money.

“One of their MLAs even lodged an FIR with the Vigilance. Each session costs a crore. People want to know what happened to Operation Lotus. The net result was again zero. Ironically, the same MLA, Sheetal Angural, later joined the BJP,” Bajwa added.

Both leaders underlined that Friday’s special session should not become another futile political exercise and must instead focus on accountability and relief for Punjab’s citizens.

–IANS

sas/dpb