Chandigarh, March 6 (NationPress) Punjab Cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, and Harbhajan Singh ETO fiercely criticized the Congress party on Friday, denouncing its choice to boycott the Governor's Address as an affront to the Assembly and to the 75-year-old parliamentary customs of the state.

The ministers stated that the Opposition’s disruptive actions and sloganeering within the Assembly were desperate moves to shift public focus from the state’s significant developmental achievements.

In a statement, Cheema remarked that the Congress party's legacy in Punjab is marked by the rise of liquor, sand, and transport mafias rather than benefiting the state’s finances or its citizens.

“While the previous administration permitted the plundering of state assets, the current AAP Government is committed to fiscal responsibility and genuine progress,” he stated. He also mentioned, “With their anti-people and anti-Dalit policies, the Congress, which has already become irrelevant in states like Delhi and Bihar, is on a path to a similar downfall in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.”

Cheema criticized the Opposition's behavior in the Assembly, asserting, “The Punjab Governor urged the Congress multiple times to participate and respond during the discussions, yet the Congress chose to act in an entirely anti-democratic manner. Their actions indicate a blatant disregard for constitutional decorum.

He further reproached Congress for its attitude towards the Dalit community, referencing the disrespect shown towards his Cabinet colleague.

“The public is aware of the Congress's anti-Dalit stance. Take the case of Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, who successfully cleared the civil services to serve as an officer before joining AAP to aid the community. Nevertheless, the Congress leadership had the audacity to compare such a qualified individual to a ‘Band Baja’. Today, when our colleagues displayed their discontent by bringing a band, Congress leaders became exasperated because they cannot confront the reality of their own arrogance.”

In support, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state President and Cabinet minister Aman Arora remarked that the Congress's actions in the Vidhan Sabha today represent a disgraceful display and a direct attack on democratic values.

“Their conduct is an insult to the Assembly and to the 75-year-old parliamentary traditions of the state. For the last 75 years, the Governor's address has been a significant occasion to present the state’s report card and future plans to the citizens. However, from the onset of the Governor's address, the Congress opted to boycott and disrupt the session with malicious slogans,” added Arora.