Chandigarh becoming a flash point between Cong-AAP-BJP
Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Apr, 2022 11:01 AM
New April 4 (IANS) Chandigarh could be the new flash point between the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after AAP recently passed a resolution in the Punjab Assembly urging the Centre to "immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab".
On Monday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, Depender Singh Hooda, submitted a notice in the Upper House highlighting Haryana's claim over Chandigarh.
Hooda's notice under Rule 267 said, "The claim that Chandigarh was created as capital of Punjab is misleading. It's a violation of the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966."
Not only the Congress, but the BJP too has opposed the move by AAP.
The BJP-ruled Haryana will convene a day-long special session of the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. A cabinet meeting was held on Sunday under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who has condemned AAP moving a resolution in the Assembly to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab.
"Condemnable. They should not have done this. Punjab should first go to the Supreme Court for resolving the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. The Hindi-speaking areas were not given to Haryana, which delayed the rest of the issues. They should first be ready to hand over the Hindi-speaking areas to Haryana," Khattar said, adding that Chandigarh is and will remain the capital of both Haryana and Punjab.
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh came into existence through the Punjab Reorganisation Act passed in 1966.
Last Friday, the Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, urging the Centre to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab.
The issue was triggered on March 27 after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Central Civil Service Rules will be implemented for all employees under the Chandigarh administration, which was opposed by different political parties in Punjab.
If the Central Civil Service Rules are implemented, all employees will get the pay scale under the Central rules.
As per the rules, retirement age will be enhanced from 58 to 60 years, while the maternity leave will be extended to two years from the existing one year.
Two-time Member of Parliament and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann will be contesting from Dhuri in the February 20 polls in Punjab. The announcement was made by state affairs co in-charge Raghav Chadha in Mohali on Thursday.
The party alleged that family members of Charanjit Singh Channi, a leader of the Congress, are being targeted in order to create a perception and influence electors into believing that Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi through his family members and the Indian National Congress is involved in the allegations of money laundering.
A complaint against Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had been sent to the investigating agencies in 2021 alleging fake companies being run by him. Prateek Yadav has a brother-in-law, Aman Singh Bisht, the younger brother of his wife Aparna Yadav.
National carrier Air India will commence normal operations to US from Friday, the airline said. On Tuesday, the national carrier said that it will not be able to operate a number of US-bound flights due to the deployment of 5G communications in the US.
Terming the nomination of Mann as a stage managed non-event, the SAD President said AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal never wanted to make Mann the face of the party in Punjab.
As per sources, the ED raided the house of Bhupinder Singh Honey, who is the nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, on Tuesday and Wednesday, seizing around Rs 10 crore in cash from his premises.
