With Union home minister Amit Shah announcing the decision to give employees of the Chandigarh Union Territory administration the same benefits as Central government employees, political parties in Punjab are up in arms against this decision.
While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the above as another anti-Punjab decision, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also reacted strongly to the Union government decision announced by Shah on Sunday during his visit to the UT.
While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the above as another anti-Punjab decision, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also reacted strongly to the Union government decision announced by Shah on Sunday during his visit to the UT.
Punjab’s finance and planning minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) government at the Centre was adopting a dictatorial attitude and was continuously imposing its anti-Punjab decisions.
“And if they (BJP-led Union government) don’t refrain from it then the Aam Aadmi Party and Punjab government will fight from road to Parliament. The people of Punjab would never allow the central government’s plans to end Punjab’s participation in Chandigarh administration, Panjab University and Bhakra Beas Management Committee (BBMB) to succeed,” he said.
He alleged the Narendra Modi government has been implementing decisions for a long time to abolish Punjab’s share in Panjab University, BBMB and Chandigarh Administration. “And now the Union home minister decided to remove Punjab Service Rules in Chandigarh Administration and implement Central Service Rules.
The verdict is one of coercion and dictatorship, which is a grand conspiracy against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab,” Cheema added
He said the Modi government is implementing anti-Punjab rulings under a grand conspiracy as the BJP is now threatened by AAP in Gujarat and other states after Punjab.
He said the Modi government is implementing anti-Punjab rulings under a grand conspiracy as the BJP is now threatened by AAP in Gujarat and other states after Punjab.
The AAP leader said the Modi government is repealing the agreements and rulings of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, which are against the rights of the state and the federal structure.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also condemned the decision. “We strongly condemn the dictatorial decision of BJP to usurp upon the rights of Punjab over control of Chandigarh. It belongs to Punjab and this unilateral decision is not only a direct attack on federalism but also an attack on Punjab’s share of 60 per cent control over UT,” he tweeted.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also condemned the decision. “We strongly condemn the dictatorial decision of BJP to usurp upon the rights of Punjab over control of Chandigarh. It belongs to Punjab and this unilateral decision is not only a direct attack on federalism but also an attack on Punjab’s share of 60 per cent control over UT,” he tweeted.
The SAD requested Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to call an all party meeting with the objective of unitedly approaching the Central government to stop its efforts to make Chandigarh a permanent UT in violation of the Punjab Reorganization Act.
SAD leader Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra said the decision on extending central civil service rules to Chandigarh employees was not only a violation of the Punjab Reorganization Act but also that of the Rajiv Gandhi- Sant Harchand Singh Longowal accord and several subsequent Commissions, all of whom had held that Punjab had a majority share in Chandigarh administration and that the status of the union territory was ad-hoc pending transfer to Punjab.
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