PHAGWARA: In a blistering attack, senior Congress leader and former MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira today lambasted the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for desecrating the hallowed platform of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, reducing it to a grotesque spectacle of mockery, manipulation, and outright authoritarianism. Khaira accused the AAP of wielding its brute majority like a sledgehammer to crush dissent, silence opposition voices, and evade accountability on the most pressing issues tormenting the people of Punjab.
“The Vidhan Sabha, once a beacon of democratic discourse, has been hijacked by the AAP and transformed into a circus where gimmickry and strong-arm tactics replace meaningful debate, ” Khaira declared. “This government has no respect for the democratic ideals that the Assembly represents. It is a betrayal of the trust reposed by the people of Punjab in their elected representatives.”
Khaira singled out two egregious issues that the AAP has deliberately swept under the rug: the chilling surge in alleged fake police encounters, which he described as a return to the dark days of state sponsored violence, and the audacious land grab of approximately 25, 000 acres of farmers’ land in Ludhiana, which he termed a “brazen looting of Punjab’s agrarian lifeline.” These issues, Khaira argued, strike at the heart of Punjab’s social and economic fabric, yet the AAP’s only response has been to muzzle opposition voices with ruthless efficiency.
In a particularly scathing critique, Khaira accused the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha of abandoning all pretense of impartiality and acting as the AAP’s “loyal hitman” to execute their nefarious agenda. “The Speaker’s chair, meant to uphold fairness and ensure every voice is heard, has been reduced to a puppet’s throne, manipulated by the AAP to choke democratic debate and shield their misdeeds, ” he said.