Chandigarh: The Punjab assembly on Thursday passed a resolution by majority to refer a breach of privilege case against Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira to the house privileges committee, amid noisy scenes as the opposition pressed for a separate resolution against chief minister Bhagwant Mann over alleged remarks about women at an International Women’s Day event.The resolution, moved by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, cited recent statements and conduct by Khaira that the treasury benches said were derogatory and violated the dignity of the House.Presenting the resolution, Cheema said the call for disciplinary action arose from social media posts by Khaira on March 10, in which he referred to the speaker, ministers and AAP MLAs as “bonded labourers”.He told the House that such language undermined the dignity of constitutionally elected representatives and belittled the mandate given by the people. Cheema said the matter escalated on March 11, 2026, when Khaira was allowed on the floor of the House to clarify his statements and apologise, but he refused to retract his remarks.The resolution also condemned physical gestures allegedly made by Khaira while leaving the House during an walkout. Cheema described the conduct as lacking parliamentary decorum.Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said it was the collective responsibility of all members to maintain the dignity of the House. He observed that before arriving at any decision, it would be appropriate to refer the matter to the committee constituted by the house, which had powers equivalent to the assembly.During the discussion, AAP MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi criticised Khaira and Congress. He alleged that some members of that party developed a habit of speaking against elected representatives and accused the party of insulting Dr B R Ambedkar, claiming that the party conspired to defeat him in a Lok Sabha election. Congress members objected to the remarks, but the Speaker said the reference was part of history and allowed Sukhi to continue speaking, leading to commotion in the House.Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other Congress MLAs also questioned under which party Sukhi, who resigned from the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2024 and whose formal status was under discussion, was speaking. The speaker responded that he belonged to SAD. Bajwa questioned why the speaker allowed a resolution against Khaira, but not the resolution moved by the Congress against the CM. Congress MLA Pargat Singh also objected, saying if the treasury benches were permitted to move a resolution, the opposition should also be allowed to move one as per the rules.DEMAND FOR REVIEW OF TET IMPOSITIONThe issue of imposing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification on teachers recruited before 2011 was raised during zero hour, with a demand for a review of the Supreme Court order mandating the requirement. Raising the matter in the house, AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Banawali said although the order was applicable across the country, the state govt should consider filing a review petition so that teachers who were appointed after fulfilling the recruitment criteria applicable at that time are not required to meet the TET condition retrospectively.
