category Regional, chandigarh , , tags Regional, chandigarh , , DW BUREAU chandigarh The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday expressed its gratitude to the Supreme Court for approving the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session, which the AAP government had called on March 3, but the Punjab governor had denied his consent after bypassing the constitutional rules. Addressing a press conference at Party Headquarters here, chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said that it is a victory of democracy, constitution of Dr BR Ambedkar and 3 crore Punjabis, which elected the Mann government in Punjab. He said that 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. Meanwhile,Party spokesperson Advocate Ravinder Singh was also present. Urging the Governor Banwarilal Purohit tto maintain the dignity of Punjab Bhawan House, Kang vehemently said that he should not turn Governor House into a political house of BJP rather cooperate with the Mann government for inclusive development of Punjab. He said that now the Punjab government will hold the session from March 3 to take pro-welfare decisions in the house. He said that 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. 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 on Monday told the Supreme Court that he has summoned the Assembly for the budget session on March 3 even as the top court told both sides that constitutional discourse has to be conducted with a sense of decorum and mature statesmanship. Stressing that the governor and the chief minister are constitutional functionaries with specified roles and obligations earmarked by the Constitution, the apex court observed that there was a dereliction of constitutional duty by both. Not furnishing the information sought by the governor would be a dereliction of the chief minister s constitutional duty which would allow the governor to not do his constitutional duty to summon the budget session, it said. The court also said there was no occasion for the Punjab governor to seek legal advice on whether to convene a Budget session as he is bound by the aid and advice of ministers. The court, which was hearing the state government s plea against the governor s alleged refusal to summon the Budget session for March 3, said the Punjab government is duty-bound to furnish information as sought by the governor and at the same time the governor is also duty-bound to accept the recommendations of Cabinet on the convening of assembly. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, at the outset, took note of the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the governor, that the plea filed by the Punjab government does not survive in view of the governor s decision to convene the Assembly. While this court is cognisant of the importance of free speech and expression, the constitutional discourse has to be conducted with a sense of decorum. (editor dailyworld.in)