Infighting in Congress surfaces in Punjab Assembly as MLA alleges his colleagues "threatened and insulted" him

Chandigarh: The severe infighting in Punjab unit of Congress reached a new low on Thursday as a party MLA alleged that two of his colleagues "threatened and insulted" him inside the Vidhan Sabha complex.

Congress MLA from Batala, Ashwani Sekhri told the House that his party colleagues Ramanjit Singh Sikki (Khadoor Sahib Assembly seat) and Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmur Assembly seat) "threatened and insulted" him inside the Vidhan Sabha complex on Wednesday.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal (BJP) expressing concern over the issue urged the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal to take some action on the fear shown by Sekhri.

"Sekhri sits opposite to me in the House. He with a heavy heart told the Assembly that he was threatened.He owed what happened with him (Sekhri)...no more proof is required...he was feeling embarrassed...Speaker take some action on the issue," Mittal said.

The Speaker told the House that Sekhri called him last night and told him that he will give a written complaint on the issue to him. "Now the MLA has given names of other legislators who threatened him inside the House...the matter will be referred to the privilege committee of the House," the Speaker said.

Earlier, it was an embarrassing moment for the opposition Congress, when revenue minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia during the zero hour drew the attention of the House about the concerns raised by Sekhri.

"I am worried that an elected representative is feeling insecure in the Assembly. It's a serious matter...I am worried," Majithia said asking the Speaker to do something about it.

"They (the MLAs) have threatened the entire democratic system," he asserted. While Mittal urged the Speaker to take cognisance of the matter, Majithia asked him to take suo motto notice of the issue.

To save Congress from the embarrassing situation, leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Jakhar said the "The party will itself resolve the matter," while asking the treasury benches that to focus on other issues concerning the state, including farmers' crisis.

It is understood that Sekhri during a CLP meeting on Thursday had asked his party colleagues to sign a letter authorising the party High Command to take any decision on PPCC chief which was objected by some of the members.

Congress is going through a rough phase in Punjab with party MP and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and

PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa was going no hold bar attacks against each other.