Chandigarh bill row: CM Mann hails Centre’s decision, insists Punjab shouldn’t be bypassed

“I hope that in the future as well, no decision related to Punjab will be made without consulting the people of Punjab,” he posted on X, expressing satisfaction with the clarification issued by the Union home ministry that the central government had no intention to introduce any bill to alter Chandigarh’s governance or administrative structure in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

The home ministry issued the clarification after a political storm erupted in Punjab over the proposal to bring the Union territory of Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution, placing it in the same category as Union territories without legislatures.

AAP’s Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang said that Punjab has a historical, legal right over Chandigarh, and there is still a need to remain vigilant. “Chandigarh should be given back to Punjab, it is our demand,” he added. Earlier, the AAP on Sunday came out all guns blazing against the Centre over the proposed constitutional amendment bill.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal led the attack at the BJP-led central government, alleging that its attempt to strip Punjab of its rights over Chandigarh through constitutional amendments was not part of any ordinary step, but a direct assault on the state’s identity and constitutional rights. He said this mindset of tearing apart the federal structure to snatch away Punjabis’ rights was extremely dangerous. “History bears witness that Punjabis have never bowed their heads before any dictatorship. Punjab will not bow today either. Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and will remain Punjab’s,” he posted on X. Another AAP leader, finance minister Harpal Cheema, warned that any move by the central government to ‘snatch’ Chandigarh would be met with a two-pronged resistance: a legal struggle by the Punjab government and a resolute struggle by the AAP, extending from the streets to Parliament.

Don’t trust BJP: Warring

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring rejected the Union government’s clarification.

“The Centre’s clarification is vague as it says, will not bring the bill in the winter session. What is the guarantee that it will not bring it in the next session?” he asked.

“If the BJP is really sincere about Punjab and Punjabis, it should initiate the measures to hand over Chandigarh completely back to Punjab instead of taking contrary steps,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that the BJP-led Union Government proposed Bill is a deliberate tactic to engineer confrontation in Punjab and create the conditions necessary to impose Governor’s rule in the state.

“The BJP knows that pushing this bill will trigger widespread protest across Punjab. That is exactly what they want — to provoke Punjab and then use the resulting situation as a pretext to centralise power,” he said.

SAD calls core committee meet on Nov 24

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday decided to convene an emergency meeting of the party’s top decision-making body, the core committee, on Monday to build consensus and to decide on the course of action to oppose the proposed Bill.

“When people of Punjab are commemorating the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, people of Punjab are expecting that relief from the government in the Centre, instead the Centre is proposing to bring an amendment in the constitution so that Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh as a capital city be usurped,” said SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema. We will oppose any such amendment and work out a strategy for the course of action, he added.

Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Bill amounts to betraying and discriminating against brave Punjabis.

SAD MP and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, “This amendment bill is a robbery of the rights of Punjab and also a violation of the principles of federal structure.”

Chandigarh integral to Punjab: Jakhar seeks meeting with Shah

Amid criticism over the proposed bill, the BJP’s Punjab unit on Sunday said that it stands firmly with the state on the issue of Chandigarh and will meet the central government, including Union home minister Amit Shah, in this regard.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that he had already sought time from the home minister for a meeting. “Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab. Whatever confusion has arisen regarding Chandigarh will be resolved by discussing it with the government,” Jakhar posted on X.

BJP’s state working president Ashwani Sharma said the tweet issued by the Central Government had clearly stated that no Bill related to Chandigarh was being brought in the winter session. He accused the AAP government, Congress, and the SAD of coming together purely for political gains and running false and misleading propaganda. He said the atmosphere of fear created by the AAP government and the opposition was nothing but a political drama.

He accused the AAP government of making baseless allegations against the BJP to divert attention from its failures. Criticising the Congress and SAD, Sharma said these issues (water, Chandigarh, and Centre-State relations) were the result of the decades-long mistakes committed by these very old parties.