Chandigarh, August 6
Former BJP Punjab State President and Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma on Wednesday submitted a detailed representation to the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, urging him to take an impartial and fact-based view of the controversy surrounding his remarks in the Assembly.
I n his letter, Sharma clarified that while responding to what he termed baseless allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party against the Central Government, he had merely used a commonly known rural Punjabi proverb as an example. He pointed out that while using the said proverb, he had clearly prefaced it with the words “ਖਿਮਾ ਸਹਿਤ” (with due apologies), making it evident that there was no intention to offend anyone. He maintained that his intention was never to hurt the sentiments of any individual, community or women, but only to effectively explain his argument.
Sharma further reminded the Speaker that he had immediately clarified on the floor of the House that if any member or any section of society felt hurt by the words used, those words could be expunged from the Assembly proceedings, thereby demonstrating his respect for the dignity of the House and sensitivity towards public sentiments.
Sharma stated that despite this clarification, the AAP government had chosen to unnecessarily politicise the issue by announcing a condemnation motion against him. He urged the Speaker not to allow political considerations to overshadow the facts and to ensure that justice is done in an impartial manner.
The BJP leader further stated that if the issue genuinely concerns the dignity and respect of women, then similar standards should also be applied to public remarks allegedly made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about women on various occasions. In his representation, Sharma listed several such instances and requested that these remarks also be examined with the same seriousness, fairness and impartiality before any decision is taken.
Appealing to the Speaker to uphold the dignity of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and the democratic traditions of the House, Sharma expressed confidence that a fair, balanced and impartial decision based on the complete facts would strengthen public faith in the institution and reaffirm that the same standards apply equally to every member, irrespective of political affiliation.