Chandigarh, July 11 -- The first day of the special session of the Punjab assembly concluded in 11 minutes after paying tributes to those who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash, veteran Akali leader and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma, who was shot dead earlier this week. The House also paid tributes to AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal and other personalities who passed away recently. On the opening day of the two-day special session of the assembly in Chandigarh on Thursday, cabinet minister Aman Arora sought from the Speaker that tributes be paid to those who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12. The Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Balluana, Amandeep Singh Musafir, sought obituary references for textile businessman Verma, who was shot dead by three assailants on July 7. Congress MLA and leader of the opposition Partap Singh Bajwa backed the proposal, saying the murder had left traders of the border town in Malwa region in shock. When Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan praised Punjab Police's "swift action" against the criminals involved, Bajwa said that there was no clarity on the action as the three accused were still at large and two other suspects had been killed in an encounter. A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of the departed souls. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann skipped the opening day of the special session. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the AAP government for what he called a "mockery of democracy" after the first day of the special assembly session was adjourned in just 11 minutes. "This government has turned governance into theatre and the assembly into a stage for scripted drama," Bajwa said. "An 11-minute session at the cost of Rs.1 crore is not just a waste of money it's a fraud on democracy," he added. Bajwa said he had formally written to assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan requesting an extension of the session to allow discussion on two critical issues: the alarming "collapse of law and order in Punjab, and the controversial land pooling scheme, which farmers have widely rejected as a land grab". "Yet, instead of addressing these urgent concerns, the AAP government chose to wrap up the day in just 11 minutes," said Bajwa.HTC...