CHANDIGARH, India: The speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Sunjit Singh Minhas, has refused to recognize Captain Amarinder Singh as a leader of 27 member break-way Akali Dal the State Assembly. The decision of the Speaker has been assumed tremendous significance as it is considered to be the first step towards recognizing the break-way group, Mr. Ravinder, who had resigned from the Speakership on May 26, had given due recognition to the break-way group of 27 members as a separate party. Mr. Amarinder Singh was elected leader of the break-way Akali Dal and Mr, Minhas after his election as the ‘Speaker had, on a request made by Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a member of the break-way group, be re-allotted her seat on the treasury benches thus reducing the strength of the group to 26.
Mr. Ravinder Singh had allotted separate seats to the break-way group in the assembly. Still Mr. Amarinder Singh will not be recognized as a leader of a political party in the State Assembly. The decision about the allotment of the separate seats to the members of the break-way group may also be reviewed, Mr. Minhas said that the letter written by Mr. ‘Amarinder Singh which was put before him in which the leader claimed that he had been elected leader of the 27 break-way Akali Dal, He feels that the claim of Mr. ‘Amarinder Singh was unfounded. The political party cannot have two leaders in the Assembly. The Akali Dal, he said, had elected Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala as its leader and is continuing in that capacity. In the absence of the removal of Mr. Surjit Singh, the claim of Mr. Amarinder Singh could not be entertained or acted upon, Mr. Minhas also mentioned an order of his predecessor and said that it was also of no help to Amarinder Singh as the order was without jurisdiction, Mr. Minhas said there was no claim of the break-way group that they have formed or joined a new political party. The former Speaker of his own held the break-way group to be a separate.
Political party and there was no ‘occasion to pass such an order. The Speaker, Mr. Minhas said, that there is no power to recognize or de-recognize a political party. The remark of the then Speaker said that he had given due recognition to the group of certain members as a political party. Mr. Amarinder Singh claimed he was from the Akali Dal and not a separate political party. To claim recognition it must have a distinct political ideology and program. None of these conditions, Mr. Minhas observed, has either been asserted or found in the application of Mr. Amarinder Sineh.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 11, 1986
