A group of protesting Congress lawmakers has spent a record 36 hours in the Punjab assembly and still hasn't budged. During that time, they have ordered food, applied themselves to yoga and meditation and even enacted a mock session.
The legislators - 22 of them - have refused to leave the building since 7 pm on Monday Sep 12,2016, angry that their request for a debate on their no confidence motion against the government has been denied.
Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal had called for a voice vote over the opposition's motion and declared it defeated amid chaos. After the day ended, the protesting Congress lawmakers decided to camp in the assembly hall.
On Monday night Sep 12,2016, the legislators ordered takeout and sent videos and selfies of how they spent hours in the dark, without air-conditioning; power supply had been cut off by the assembly security but was restored in some hours.
On TuesdaySep 13,2016, a holiday for Eid, the assembly was closed. The legislators were, however, allowed to call in breakfast from home.
They were wearing aprons saying "Punjab da cancer, Badal Sarkar (Punjab's cancer - the Badal government)" when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal arrived and tried to talk them out of their stake-out. When he failed to draw them out, he had the staff open the assembly canteen.
One of the lawmakers, Ashwini Sekhri, had to be shifted to hospital after he complained of low blood pressure.
At least a dozen other Congress lawmakers led by former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal protested outside the assembly after they were refused entry.
CM Parkash Singh Badal in a meeting with protesting Congress MLAs inside the assembly on Tuesday. His requests to end the overnight dharna did not lead to a breakthrough
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