Chandigarh, Aug. 8 -- An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA on Friday questioned the rural development and panchayats minister over the alleged auction of gram panchayat land in Ludhiana's Maloud area, even offering to resign from the assembly if the government could prove that the auction had been conducted.

The confrontation erupted during the question hour on the fifth day of the Punjab assembly monsoon session, after Payal MLA Manvinder Singh Giaspura disputed rural development and panchayats minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond's assertion that the process to auction panchayat land in Daulatpur village, Maloud, had been initiated in accordance with the rules.

Replying to the question, Sond said around 11 acres of panchayat land had been earmarked...