Speaking on the "motion of thanks" to the Governor's address, the Congress leader said that it was the Beant Singh government which brought peace to Punjab after great sacrifices. Now, there was again talk of bloodshed and the birthday of Bhindranwale was recently observed.

The Congress leader apprehended that in view of the present political scenario in the state, peace and tranquility would be shortlived.

Treasury benches interrupted the Leader of the Opposition, levelling counter- allegations. Gobind Singh Kanjla, Minister of State, said that terrorism was a creation of the Congress, which did not want Punjab to progress. Chaudhary Jagjit Singh retorted that if that was the feeling among Akalis, "why don't you set up a judicial commission, as promised in the election manifesto, to go into the reasons of the spread of terrorism and the forces behind it. All know who had been giving siropas to terrorists".

The Congress leader emphasised that his party was ready to extend all cooperation to maintain peace in the state. Assailing the Akali claim on achievements in the field of industry, Chaudhary clarified that the mega-petro project in Bathinda was envisaged when Harcharan Singh Brar was the chief minister. A letter of intent was also received at that time.

"How could the Akalis talk of development and prosperity, when compensation to farmers for their damaged crops had not been given, cotton mills were closing down, paddy had been rotting in mandis and the price of urea had been hiked?" the Leader of the Opposition questioned.

Such was the plight of the peasants that about 150 of them had committed suicide due to debt and water-logging of fields. The promised crop insurance scheme was nowhere in sight, Chaudhary said.

On the question of stipends not being paid to poor students, the treasury benches interrupted to add that the backlog had been left by the previous Congress government. When the Congress leader alleged that the Punjab government was ignoring the reservation policy in recruitments and promotions, he was interrupted by the treasury benches, who blamed the Congress for all ills.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh raised the issue of bungling in panchayat elections, corruption in government departments and the bogus claim of old-age pensions. Jagdish Sahni, MLA from Batala, and Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Rural Development Minister, rose to remind the Congress that the then minister, Brij Bhupinder of Congress, was still facing corruption charges while distributing panchayat funds.

Baldev Singh Khiala of SAD lambasted the previous Congress regime for recruiting teachers after taking bribes. "The selections were later quashed by the High Court, how could they be now re-employed?" On the question of terrorism, Khaila said that it was totally wrong to point fingers at Badal or Tohra or Bhindranwale when talking about terrorism.