Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the Supreme Court had cleared the air over the validity of the previous sittings of the legislative assembly, and that the AAP government did not want any confrontation with governor Banwarilal Purohit and there was “no rift” with the latter’s office on any issue.

Speaking on the first day of the winter session of the assembly on the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Mann said: “I thank the Supreme Court for giving clarity on questions raised over the previous sessions of the assembly held in June and October.We have got justice. The governor had also said that he won’t sign Bills as he had doubts about the validity of the session. The court has made it clear for all states that when the Speaker convened a session, there is no question of checking the legality (of sessions). The detailed order has come to the benefit of some other state governments too.”

Mann added: “The governor has been directed to take a call on the Bills passed in those sessions soon. When we were asked (by the court) why the sessions were not being prorogued, the Punjab government said the governor withdrew permission to hold the session and the state had to move court, the way we did before the Budget session.”

Amid the ongoing slugfest with the governor’s office, Mann said: “I thank the governor for giving his nod for the winter session the same day. We promised to prorogue the previous session. He is using his constitutional rights, the way we are using our democratic rights. The Supreme Court has made it clear that there is a difference between the selected and the elected. In democracy, the elected ones do the work. It is not a question of winning or losing – the Punjab government or the governor Saab. It was only about removing the hurdles.”

“About four-five states were facing problems over Bills. Kerala also approached the apex court complaining that their governor was not deciding on the Bills. The chief justice referred to the judgment about Punjab. The SC decision emerged as a role model for the country. It helped Tamil Nadu and Bengal; Telangana is going to polls,” he said.
On his government’s equation with the Raj Bhawan, Mann said, “We don’t want any confrontation with the governor’s office. The latter represents the Centre and the President of India.”