Uproar in Assembly over delay in sharing information on legislators’ questions

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh insisted on making a statement on the damage caused to the state during the ongoing monsoon session.

Amid uproar during Question Hour, Speaker Kuldeep Pathania adjourned the Assembly proceedings today.

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur raised the issue of excessive delays in providing information on legislators’ questions. Following this, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh also pressed for making a statement on the losses suffered by the state during the current monsoon.

When the Speaker suggested the Chief Minister make his statement after Question Hour, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri intervened, saying that the Leader of the House should be allowed to speak. Heated exchanges followed between treasury and opposition members, prompting Pathania to adjourn the House until 3 p.m. As a result, Question Hour could not begin amid the chaos.

Pathania assured the Opposition that the government would provide the information sought. Delivering his ruling, he said, “The Speaker holds inherent constitutional powers that cannot be challenged anywhere, and legislators also enjoy immunity. Questions for which information is still being collected shall be treated as deferred.” He further added that such questions would be listed again tomorrow.

Thakur called the situation “highly unusual,” pointing out that replies to questions have not been provided during Assembly sessions over the last two years. He remarked, “Questions duly listed by the Assembly Secretariat have been dropped from today’s proceedings. Should elected representatives now seek answers under RTI?”

He added, “The Speaker should safeguard the Opposition. Discretion should be exercised only in the rarest of cases. Our rights are being undermined. Deferring questions indefinitely casts a shadow over the independence of the Assembly and erodes legislators’ rights—something that cannot be tolerated.”