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.
Just a month away from the Assembly polls in Punjab, the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a group of farm organisations, in its maiden electoral foray after getting the Central agricultural laws revoked, on Wednesday released its first list of 10 candidates out of 117 seats.
After the Model Code of Conduct came into force in the state for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, enforcement teams have seized valuables worth Rs 23.8 crore in violation of code, besides confiscating unaccounted cash till January 12, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab S. Karuna Raju said on Thursday.
Channi expressed regret while participating in a virtual meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi with Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors/Administrators of states and UTs to review the prevailing Covid situation as well as the ongoing vaccination drive.
Unveiling the first set of plans in his Punjab Model with focus on resurrection of Punjab, Sidhu, in the absence of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Cabinet colleagues, told the media here: "Punjab Model is people's model, an effort to give a roadmap to return power to people."
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he "personally" feels that alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had cost the BJP heavily.
India on Tuesday recorded 1,68,063 new Covid cases, taking the total tally to 8,21,446. Although the fresh infections were 6.4 per cent less than Monday when the country logged 1,79,723, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 8.85 per cent and the daily positivity rate has declined to 10.64 per cent. On the other hand, 4,461 Omicron cases were recorded from 28 states.
