Chandigarh, Oct 11 (PTI) Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa Wednesday wrote to the Punjab Assembly speaker, expressing concern over the frequent convening of Assembly sessions on short notice by the Aam Aadmi Party regime.

Bajwa's letter came a day after the state government decided to call a session of the state assembly on October 20 and 21, amid a political row over a Supreme Court directive on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal.

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The October 20-21 session will be an extension of the fourth session -- the budget session in March -- of the current legislative assembly.

In his letter to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, said, "This practice, which has become a routine rather than an exception requiring its discreet use, also raises concerns about the executive's avoidance of traditional oversight by the Legislature. It has the potential to undermine the democratic process."

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Bajwa in his letter referred to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretariat's notice on convening the session that was adjourned on June 20 and listed out "several disconcerting factors."

"First and foremost, the notice issued has effectively erased the significance of the regularly held sessions like 'Monsoon Session' and 'Winter Session' from our collective memory," he said.

He said the "deliberate omission" raises questions about transparency and the preservation of the legislative process.

Bajwa said he was disheartened by the "growing trend" of privileges of elected representatives getting "circumvented" by these short notice sessions, which, he said, are primarily focused on the government's agenda.

"This practice jeopardises the fundamental democratic process by stifling opportunities for public issues to be addressed during essential parliamentary functions such as the Question Hour, Zero Hour, Call Attention, Private Members' Business, and Legislative Business.

"This departure from the established norm relegates the regular business of the House to a secondary status," said Bajwa.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)