The Punjab Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Tuesday as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) moved a ‘confidence motion’, even as the Opposition termed ‘operation lotus’ as a figment of the imagination of the AAP government, created to deflect attention from the real issues concerning people of Punjab.

The MLAs of the Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) opposed the move to bring the confidence motion. The two BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan walked out of the House. Congress MLAs led by the Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the move, terming it as challenging the authority and power of the Governor. He said it in reference to the Governor’s recent denial of permission for bringing a ‘confidence motion only’.

After moving the motion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Congress and BJP as twin faces of the same coin, adding that the confidence motion has been necessitated as both the parties have joined hands to topple the democratically elected governments in the State. “BJP is using anti-defection law as a new tool to form governments in the State through back door in the country and unfortunately despite of being its worst victim the Congress is supporting it,” he said. The session has been extended till October 3.

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