The fourth day of the monsoon session in the Punjab Legislative Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on Thursday after Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Ashwani Sharma delivered a controversial remark while targeting the governing party. Speaking during the proceedings in Chandigarh, the former state party president accused the administration of routinely deflecting responsibility for local administrative failures onto the Central government, using an unconventional comparison that drew immediate protests from the treasury benches.
Controversial Remarks During Call-Attention Motions
The commotion erupted while the House was holding deliberations on calling attention motions. Addressing the assembly, Ashwani Sharma claimed that the ruling party takes sole credit whenever positive developments occur in the state but shifts the blame to New Delhi whenever challenges arise. Framing his argument with an apology in advance, he remarked that if a boy is born, the administration claims credit for hard work, whereas if a girl is born, they accuse the Centre of being at fault. The phrasing was instantly met with fierce objections from members of the ruling party.
Scrutiny Over Illegal Mining and Sand Policy
Beyond his analogy, Ashwani Sharma directed sharp criticism toward the state's ongoing handling of illegal sand mining operations. He called for a thorough review of the ground reality surrounding the government policy known as Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret, which was designed to grant land owners rights over the sand on their property. Sharma asserted that the policy remains ineffective on the ground and alleged that senior leaders from the ruling party regularly intimidate and threaten individuals who attempt to raise their voices against illegal mining activities in their local areas.
Treasury Bench Demands Apology Over Remarks
The comments provoked strong indignation from lawmakers of the ruling party, who categorized the lawmaker's analogy as deeply insensitive and derogatory toward women. Assembly members immediately disrupted proceedings to condemn the language used on the House floor, surrounding the issue with vocal protests and demanding an unconditional apology from the BJP legislator for disparaging female children in his political critique.
Clarification and Counter-Attack by Ashwani Sharma
Responding to the backlash, Ashwani Sharma offered a clarification regarding his statement, explaining that he had merely quoted an old popular proverb to illustrate his political point about accountability. He stated that if the Assembly Speaker deemed the phrase unparliamentary, it should be expunged from the official records of the House. Expressing regret if his words had hurt anyone's sentiments, Sharma subsequently launched a counter-attack against the governing party. He questioned the ruling party's commitment to women's dignity, asking where their outrage was when female protesters were subjected to a police lathi-charge during a previous demonstration in Barnala.
