CHANDIGARH: Central govt seeks to bring Union Territory of Chandigarh under Article 240 of Constitution by tabling the 131st Amendment Bill in winter session of Parliament, similar to other UTs like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. The politically sensitive move has sparked a storm of protest in Punjab, from governing AAP to opposition Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal.“This amendment is against the interests of Punjab. We strongly oppose it and won’t allow this conspiracy being hatched by central govt against Punjab to succeed. Only Punjab has the right over Chandigarh, which was built by destroying the villages of our Punjab. We will not give up our rights. We will take whatever steps are necessary for that,” CM Bhagwant Mann posted on X.
Chandigarh is administered by the Punjab governor. With the new law, it is likely to be administered by an independent administrator. The move is being seen as a bid to delink Chandigarh from Punjab. It may open another Punjab vs Delhi war soon after the skirmish over restructuring of Panjab University senate in which Centre took a U-turn.Chandigarh was designated a Union Territory in 1966 and has since been governed directly by central govt rather than Punjab or Haryana, even though it serves as the two states’ joint capital. The role of Chandigarh administrator has been held by the Punjab governor since 1984. Earlier this year, Centre abolished the post of “advisor to administrator” and redesignated it as “chief secretary”.
Non-BJP parties join hands to oppose Centre’s move
The Article 240 move has brought together non-BJP parties who see it as an attempt to “snatch” Chandigarh from Punjab.Punjab LoP Partap Singh Bajwa urged political parties in Punjab to unite against BJP-led Union govt’s “highly sensitive amendment”. “This Bill is a clear attempt to weaken Punjab’s historical, constitutional, and emotional claim over its own capital,” he said, accusing Centre of eroding Punjab’s rights “whether on Chandigarh, river waters, or Panjab University”.“BJP-led Centre’s antiPunjab agenda is now out in the open. Because Punjabis do not elect BJP, Centre seems intent on penalising state. This mindset is discriminatory, divisive, and completely unacceptable,” he asserted. Bajwa sought to remind Centre of the farmers’ movement and Panjab University Bachao Morcha as recent examples of Punjab’s collective strength.Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring warned Centre against the proposed 131st Constitutional Amendment. Calling the move “totally uncalled for”, he expressed hope better sense would prevail in Centre and that it would refrain from legislating such a provision. “Chandigarh belongs to Punjab, and any attempt to snatch it away will have serious repercussions,” he cautioned, adding central govt should not make such a misadventure and must make necessary amendments in the proposed Bill. Senior Congress functionary Pargat Singh saw it as “part of a pattern”, and said, “The assault has been years in the making — pushing for a separate Haryana assembly inside Chandigarh, plotting to convert Panjab University into a central university, reducing Punjab-cadre officers in Chandigarh administration, dissolving Panjab University’s elected senate, and now using Article 240 to turn Chandigarh into a regular UT, completely severed from Punjab. It’s a blatant, unconstitutional attack on Punjab’s capital and federal rights.”Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney stressed Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh had historical significance as it became Punjab’s capital after Partition when Lahore went to Pakistan. Following the 1966 Punjab Reorganisation, the city became the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana and, under multiple accords, Centre promised to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab. Sahney urged all MPs from Punjab to immediately meet the Union home minister.
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