Chandigarh, August 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A political storm erupted in the Punjab Legislative Assembly on Thursday after BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma made a remark during a debate on illegal mining that drew sharp protests from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which accused him of displaying a sexist mindset.
While criticizing the Punjab Government for allegedly shifting blame to the Centre for its failures while claiming credit for its achievements, Sharma used a colloquial analogy, saying that the government blames the Central Government if a girl child is born but takes credit itself if a boy is born.
The remark immediately triggered strong objections from the treasury benches, with Cabinet Minister Aman Arora and several AAP legislators terming the comparison insensitive and gender-biased. They demanded that Sharma tender an unconditional apology to the women and daughters of Punjab and even urged him to “hold his ears” while apologising.
Responding to the criticism, Sharma clarified that he had merely used a commonly spoken traditional phrase prevalent in Punjab to illustrate his political point about the state government’s alleged habit of shifting responsibility for failures while taking credit for successes.
He maintained that there was no intention to offend anyone and said that if any of his words had genuinely hurt sentiments, he had no hesitation in expressing regret.
At the same time, Sharma accused the ruling AAP of deliberately twisting his remarks to divert attention from what he described as the government’s governance failures and its handling of women protesters.
The exchange led to a noisy scene in the Assembly, with members from both sides engaging in heated arguments before the proceedings moved forward.
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