The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday thanked the Supreme Court for approving the Punjab Assembly session, for which the state governor had declined consent. The AAP Government had called the session on 3 March.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said it is a victory of democracy, the Constitution of Dr BR Ambedkar and three crore Punjabis, which elected the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab.

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He said it is a benchmark decision that the governor must not interfere into day-to-day affairs of the elected government and allow smooth functioning of the state for the betterment of common people.

Urging the Governor Banwarilal Purohit to maintain the dignity, Kang said they should not turn Governor House into a political house of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rather cooperate with the Mann government for inclusive development of Punjab.

 He said now the Punjab government will hold the session from 3 March to take pro-welfare decisions in the house.

 Kang said the Governor has to act according to the aid and advice of the council of ministers. “Even the under Article 163(1) of the Constitution says that there shall be a council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion,” he added.

 Hitting out at BJP-led NDA government, he said that saffron party is wanted to eliminate the democracy by using the LG office in Delhi and Governor House in Punjab but the Apex court has once again saved the murder of Constitution and empowered the council of ministers as per the powers given to them under the Constitution.

 Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he had summoned the Assembly on March 3 for the budget session. The tussle between the Punjab government and the Governor on summoning of the budget session had reached the Supreme Court on Monday.

Amid the confrontation between Punjab Governor and AAP government,  the Governor Banwarilal Purohit on 23 February had said he will decide on allowing the Budget Session of the Punjab government on 3 March only after he has sought legal advice on the “unconstitutional” and “extremely derogatory” tweets and letter written by CM Bhagwant Mann in response to his letter sent earlier this month.

In a letter to the CM today, Purohit said he will take a decision on summoning of the budget session of the Punjab Assembly only after having received a legal opinion on the tweets and letters of the CM. On 21 February, the Punjab council of ministers had authorised the Governor to convene the session from 3 March to 24 March, as per Article 174 of the Constitution.