New Delhi: It’s been raining resolutions for Chandigarh this month. First, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution staking its claim on the Union territory, then Haryana’s passed another to counter it, and now the BJP-led Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has taken the fight up a notch with a resolution demanding that it should have its own legislative assembly, like Puducherry.
The resolution was passed during a special House meeting Thursday where only BJP councillors were present. In the House of 35, the BJP has 13 councillors, while the AAP, Congress, and Akali members had staged a walkout.
The resolution, read out by BJP councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu, stated that the Centre should direct Punjab and Haryana should each look for a new capital. Both states currently share Chandigarh as their capital and have been playing tug-of-war over it.
“Keeping in view the sentiments of the residents of Chandigarh, its status of Union Territory should be maintained. [Also] a state legislative assembly should be constituted in Chandigarh so as to enable the residents to decide about the policies and future of the city themselves,” the resolution said.
The resolution also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for implementing Central Service Rules for municipal employees in Chandigarh late last month — which had been criticised by Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
Unsurprisingly, non-BJP members of the Municipal Corporation were far from thrilled about the resolution.
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‘About time Chandigarh gets out of Punjab-Haryana tussle’
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP leaders in Chandigarh said that it was about time that the UT separated itself from the tussle between Punjab and Haryana.
“It is a question about the residents of Chandigarh and what they want… They have not been heard by two states,” Chandigarh Mayor Sarabjit Kaur Dhillon, also a BJP councillor, said.
However, some BJP functionaries acknowledged that the municipal corporation’s demand was mostly a “political fight” in the wake of the AAP forming the government in Punjab.
“If in the near future, the Centre approves our demand for an assembly in Chandigarh, we will have independent financial and other powers… like other states,” a BJP leader said on the condition of anonymity.
According to Arun Sood, president of the Chandigarh BJP, the “political war” between Punjab and Haryana has not helped the UT in any way, and reiterated the need for a dedicated assembly.
“Puducherry, which is smaller than Chandigarh, has its own assembly. Why can’t Chandigarh have its own assembly?” he asked.
“We have demanded from the Home Minister to direct both states to develop independent capitals rather fighting over Chandigarh,” Sood said, adding that the BJP would take the issue to the masses so as to “fight for the existence of the City Beautiful”.
Sood also claimed that Chandigarh had “not benefited” from Punjab or Haryana in any way.
“They have not contributed financially to Chandigarh. For instance, Punjab and Haryana students claim benefits of domicile in Chandigarh, but Chandigarh students can’t claim such benefits in Haryana or Punjab. Then what is point of Chandigarh being the capital of Punjab and Haryana?” Sood asked.
Mayor Dhillon said it was now up to the Centre to decide Chandigarh’s fate.
“The two states have called special sessions with their claims to Chandigarh. We have passed a resolution in the special session for an assembly in the union territory. Now, the ball is in the Centre’s court… to decide the legalities,” she said.
‘BJP is playing dirty politics’
AAP leaders have dubbed the BJP-led civic body’s latest resolution as “dirty politics” motivated by a desire to wrest some power from the Punjab government.
Pardeep Chhabra, AAP’s co-in-charge in Chandigarh, said “the BJP should stop politicising this issue”.
“Under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, Punjab has claim on Chandigarh as state capital, which should not be disturbed,” Chhabra said.
He added that the municipal corporation was a mere civic body and “not a state assembly” which could pass resolutions of this nature.
Why it’s an issue
The fraught political issue of Chandigarh’s status as joint capital of Punjab and Haryana got fresh life recently after the political parties in Punjab and the AAP-led government alleged that Punjab’s interest was being ignored, with AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory)-cadre officers taking up posts reserved for Punjab-cadre officers in the UT administration.
The issue became a major flashpoint between the AAP government in Punjab and the BJP-led Union government after Amit Shah declared the replacement of Punjab Service Rules with Central Service Rules for UT employees on 27 March.
In response, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann called an assembly session on 1 April, where an immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab was demanded through a resolution.
Four days later, the BJP-led Haryana government also called an Assembly session to pass a resolution urging the Centre to not take any step that will disturb the existing balance till all issues emanating from the reorganisation of Punjab were settled, besides reiterating its claim over the state capital.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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