The governments of Punjab and Haryana have locked horns over the issue of the state capital, Chandigarh.
After Punjab, now the BJP-led Haryana government has followed suit by convening a special Assembly session on April 5 to discuss various issues, including the long pending demand to transfer Chandigarh back to Haryana and the transfer of Hindi-speaking areas to the state .
The decision to call the special Assembly session was taken at a cabinet meeting held at the residence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The special day-long session of the state Assembly, according to a state government spokesperson, will begin at 11 am on April 5.
Haryana has expressed surprise over Punjab’s sudden move to stake claim to Chandigarh. CM Manohar Lal Khattar said that Punjab should have taken into confidence all the stakeholders before raising such a demand.
Meanwhile , Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij slammed Punjab for demanding Chandigarh and said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was a ‘bachcha party’ which was unaware about the real issues concerning both the states.
Vij said that the AAP government was trying to divert the public attention towards other issues as it has miserably failed to fulfil the election promises made to the people of Punjab to seek votes.
“Surely, the government that has been formed in Punjab is in its infancy and has yet to get the deciduous teeth. I don’t want to discuss this but what I can say is that AAP is a deceitful party,” sniped Anil Vij, adding that Chandigarh was not an isolated issue which concerns Haryana.
“Besides Chandigarh, we also demand construction of the SYL Canal and transfer of Hindi-speaking areas to the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Haryana BJP Chief Om Prakash Dhankhar while addressing a press conference on Sunday also criticised the AAP dispensation in Punjab.
“The newly formed Punjab government should have shown a good gesture towards its neighbour but passed a condemnable resolution in the Assembly. Both the state and the party organisation will oppose any such demand. Getting 19 lakh acre ft water through SYL Canal also remains our principal demand,” Dhankhar said.
On Friday, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution that reprised the state’s claim on the Union Territory of Chandigarh, which was built in 1953 and happens to be the joint capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
The Punjab Assembly has urged the central government to immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab. The resolution was, however, opposed by BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma, who walked out in protest.
Reacting to Haryana’s decision to convene a special Assembly session, AAP spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said that Haryana’s silence on the Union government’s decision to deprive Punjab of its rights speaks about the double standards.
“Why Haryana was silent when the union government imposed CCS rules on Chandigarh? They have no right on Chandigarh. The assembly session is a political stunt,” Kang alleged.
The political developments in Punjab and Haryana come after Union HomeMinister Amit Shah on March 27 announced that central service rules will be applicable to government employees in Chandigarh.
The Centre’s decision has left the ruling AAP and Opposition parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, fuming as they called the move anti-Punjab and an attempt to infringe on the rights of the state.