Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his party AAP have been complaining of poaching attempts by BJP

Kolkata:

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit has turned down the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s demand for a special session of the assembly to introduce a confidence motion. The Governor has withdrawn the order to summon a special session of the Punjab assembly on September 22.

In a fresh order issued today, Mr Purohit said the earlier order stands withdrawn in the absence of specific rules regarding summoning of the assembly for considering the confidence motion that was called by the Punjab government.

AAP leaders have been complaining of poaching attempts by the BJP to topple the government in Punjab, as part of what AAP and other Opposition parties claim to be BJP’s “Operation Lotus”. The AAP leadership wanted to prove that their house was intact, through a confidence motion in the assembly.

Criticising the Governor’s decision to withdraw the order for the summoning of the assembly session for a confidence vote, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “How can the governor refuse a session called by the cabinet? Then democracy is over. Two days ago, the Governor gave permission for the session. When Operation Lotus started failing and the number was not completed, a call came from above asking to withdraw the permission.”

राज्यपाल कैबिनेट द्वारा बुलाए सत्र को कैसे मना कर सकते हैं? फिर तो जनतंत्र खतम है

दो दिन पहले राज्यपाल ने सत्र की इजाज़त दी। जब ऑपरेशन लोटस फ़ेल होता लगा और संख्या पूरी नहीं हुई तो ऊपर से फ़ोन आया कि इजाज़त वापिस ले लो

आज देश में एक तरफ़ संविधान है और दूसरी तरफ़ ऑपरेशन लोटस। pic.twitter.com/BHwuyUG23X

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 21, 2022