The Budget session of the Punjab Assembly commenced earlier this week with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria delivering an address that largely praised the performance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government even as Opposition protests disrupted proceedings in the Assembly and the Governor’s own anti-drug march weeks earlier continued to draw political attention.
Kataria’s praise of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government’s initiatives is in stark contrast with his predecessor, Banwarilal Purohit, who had several run-ins with the Punjab government. The Governor’s address is written by the government, outlining their achievements.
Recently in states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where the Governors are seen to share a turbulent relationship with the state government, Governors Thaawar Chand Gehlot and R N Ravi (who has since been appointed West Bengal Governor), skipped parts of their addresses which praised the governments.
Between 2022 and 2024, the AAP government led by Mann had several disagreements with Purohit, including a dispute in early 2023 when the Governor initially withheld approval for the Budget session, prompting the state government to approach the Supreme Court.
Kataria’s 51-page address delivered on March 6, however, outlined the state government’s work across sectors including healthcare, education, anti-drug initiatives, infrastructure development and welfare schemes.
Among the initiatives highlighted was the expansion of Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state. The Governor said hundreds of clinics are now operational and have provided crores of free consultations and medicines to residents.
The address also referred to the government’s anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashean Virudh”, mentioning de-addiction centres and outpatient opioid-assisted treatment clinics aimed at rehabilitation of drug users.
In the education sector, Kataria referred to the recruitment of thousands of teachers and the development of Schools of Eminence to strengthen government schooling. The speech also cited welfare measures including 300 units of free electricity for most households, road infrastructure improvements, irrigation facilities and farmer welfare initiatives such as higher sugarcane prices.
Congress protests
Congress legislators led by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa repeatedly disrupted the address, raising slogans on issues such as law and order.
Kataria appealed to the protesting legislators to allow him to complete the constitutional address first, assuring them that they could raise objections during the debate later. The protests continued and Congress MLAs eventually staged a walkout.
After the address, the Governor addressed a joint press conference with Mann and broadly praised the Punjab government’s work in tackling drug abuse and improving education. He said the Opposition should have allowed the address to conclude and later expressed its views in the House so that their objections could be formally recorded.
Bajwa, however, defended the protest, saying the Congress had boycotted the address in protest against what he described as “repeated failures and broken promises” of the Mann-led government.
AAP ministers Aman Arora and Harpal Singh Cheema briefly left the House during the Governor’s address to address the media, drawing criticism from the Opposition.
“If the AAP government claims everything is functioning smoothly in Punjab, then what was the extraordinary urgency that forced its own ministers to desert the Assembly in the middle of the Governor’s Address? Why could the press conference not wait until the proceedings were over?” Bajwa said.
Responding to the issue, BJP Punjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal said the Governor holds a constitutional position and performs his duties professionally irrespective of political statements by parties.
SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema said the Governor’s address in the Assembly is prepared by the state government and there is therefore generally little reason to question its contents.
Praise after triggering row
Kataria’s praise for the government comes weeks after his four-day “Nasha Mukti Yatra” sparked debate in state politics.
Launched on February 9 from Tarn Taran and concluding on February 12 at Abohar, the march was projected as a social campaign against drug abuse. Conducted under the banner “Yuddh Nashyan Viruddh”, it echoed the slogan of the state government’s own anti-drug campaign.
However, the yatra’s leg in Ferozepur on February 10 became a political flashpoint after leaders from rival parties appeared at the event.
Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma and BJP national executive member Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi walked alongside the Governor during the march. Later, Sukhbir Singh Badal, chief of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), arrived at the Ferozepur School of Eminence where Kataria was addressing a gathering.
As Badal entered the venue, the Governor briefly paused his speech and welcomed him from the dais, a moment that soon became the centre of political debate.
The optics drew criticism from both the ruling AAP and Congress. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring questioned the intent of the march and suggested it appeared to be an attempt to revive the SAD and prepare the ground for a renewed alliance between the Akalis and the BJP, which had collapsed during the farmers’ protests against the now-repealed farm laws.
In February, AAP MLA Gurinder Singh Garry Birring had also accused the Kataria’s office of directing Desh Bhagat University in Fatehgarh Sahib to invite Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini instead of coordinating with the Punjab government. Birring staged a protest outside the university on February 14 when Saini attended the convocation as chief guest.
Despite these controversies, Kataria has repeatedly spoken in support of the state government’s efforts against drugs. His relatively cooperative tone also marks a contrast with the frequent confrontations seen during Purohit’s tenure.