Soon after resigning from the primary membership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh joined the Bains brothers — Balwinder Singh and Simarjeet Singh — in a protest against the SAD-BJP government in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.
“Aa gaye fourth front wale” (Here comes the fourth front), MLAs from the opposition said as Pargat walked to join the Bains brothers leaving members of treasury benches awestruck when he walked past chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“They (Akalis) have me, but are still sending me party’s whip. To clarify things, I decided to send a formal resignation,” Pargat told HT before the start of the session.
Pargat and Bains brothers raised slogans against the government and later held a sit-in in the well of the House. Opposition MLAs, including Gidderbaha legislator and Indian Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, gestured to Amritsar (east) MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu to join them, to which she refused. Her husband Navjot Singh Sidhu, Bains brothers and Pargat have formed a political forum Aaawz-e-Punjab last week, which is being seen as a fourth front in ensuing political battle in the state.
The Bains brothers raised slogans against speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal after he refused them the permission to bring a resolution in the House demanding money from the Rajasthan government for Punjab waters.
Later, talking to media, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said she didn’t join the protest as she was still a member of the BJP and part of the government. “The new forum has been floated by my husband and I have not joined it as yet,” she said.
Meanwhile, SAD whip Daljit Singh Cheema said it was unfortunate that despite instructions that no MLA would be absent due to the no-confidence motion against the government, suspended Akali MLA from Amritsar (south) constituency Inderbir Singh Bolaria was not present in the House. “Pargat’s behaviour in the House is also not acceptable,” he added.
