Chandigarh, March 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The controversy surrounding Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s remarks about women intensified on Tuesday after the Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a censure motion against him, while the Punjab State Women Commission took suo motu notice of the issue and ordered a police probe.
The development follows strong reactions from members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the ongoing Budget Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, where Khaira’s social media remarks were described as derogatory and insulting to women.
Punjab Assembly Passes Censure Motion
During proceedings in the Assembly, AAP legislators moved a censure motion against the Congress MLA, accusing him of deliberately making objectionable remarks that hurt the dignity of women.
Several women MLAs from the treasury benches demanded strict action, with some even suggesting that Khaira’s membership of the Assembly should be cancelled.
AAP members also alleged that Khaira had made the controversial remarks at the behest of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
When the censure motion was put to a voice vote, AAP legislators unanimously supported it. Congress MLAs, however, did not clearly vote either in favour or against the motion.
Subsequently, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan declared the motion passed based on the voice vote, formally censuring the Congress leader.
Notably, Khaira was absent from the Assembly during the discussion and voting on the motion.
Women’s Commission Orders Police Probe
Meanwhile, the Punjab State Women Commission took suo motu notice of the controversial social media post attributed to Khaira.
The Commission directed the Kapurthala police to investigate the matter, instructing that the probe be conducted by an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kapurthala, has been asked to submit a status report of the investigation to both the Commission and the court at the earliest.
The Commission observed that the remarks appeared derogatory and had the potential to hurt the dignity of women in society.
What Triggered the Controversy
The controversy erupted after Khaira reacted on X (formerly Twitter) to the Punjab Government’s announcement regarding financial assistance for women.
The AAP government recently announced a monthly honorarium of ₹1,000 for women of the general category and ₹1,500 for Dalit women.
In a social media post reacting to celebrations by some women welcoming the announcement, Khaira asked in Punjabi whether those celebrating the scheme would give birth to “Soormas” (brave warriors).
The tweet was widely condemned in the Assembly, with AAP MLAs accusing Khaira of demeaning women and making insensitive comments, particularly about Dalit women.
Congress Leaders Distance Themselves
The issue also created discomfort within the Congress party.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said he condemned Khaira’s remarks and stated that the MLA would present his explanation in the Assembly when he attends the session.
Senior Congress leader and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh attempted to calm the situation, suggesting that the ruling party should wait for Khaira to clarify his position in the House.
Khaira Defends His Stand
After learning about the uproar in the Assembly, Khaira responded through another post on social media.
He said the controversy had erupted over a post in which a YouTuber had questioned the morality of women volunteers allegedly dancing after the announcement of the ₹1,000 scheme.
Khaira claimed that the video suggested these women had forgotten the hardships faced by Punjabi farmers, employees and women and were celebrating what he described as a “meagre amount” of financial assistance.
He further alleged that the dance was “a scripted performance arranged by the Aam Aadmi Party”, accusing the ruling party of political theatrics.
Khaira also invoked Mai Bhago (Mata Bhag Kaur), the legendary Sikh warrior who fought the Mughals in the Battle of Muktsar in 1705, saying that Punjabi women have historically symbolised courage and bravery.
Reiterating his political criticism of the government, Khaira said the ₹1,000 monthly assistance scheme was a “vote-seeking stunt”.
He argued that if the government had been serious about the promise, it should have implemented it in the first budget rather than the last.
Khaira also demanded that the Bhagwant Mann government pay ₹48,000 to each woman as arrears for the past four years, claiming that the amount remained due.
Tweet Reportedly Deleted
Later, Khaira appeared to have deleted the original social media post that had triggered the controversy.
With the Assembly’s censure motion and the Women Commission’s intervention, the issue has now taken on both political and legal dimensions, and further developments are expected once the police probe progresses and Khaira responds in the Assembly.
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