Land in Chandigarh: BJP, AAP united against Centre move, divided over Mann’s ‘mistake’

While Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Thursday said that the Centre’s clearance will dilute the state’s claim on Chandigarh, SSP spokesperson Neel Garg, in a statement, said that Chandigarh is not just a piece of land but is tied to the emotions of three crore Punjabis.“I believe that in order to maintain strong relations between Punjab and the Centre, this decision should be reconsidered, and I appeal to the Prime Minister to personally intervene and have this decision reversed,” Jakhar said in post on X.

Known for airing his independent views, Jakhar added, “In an effort to heal Punjab’s past wounds, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps for the social and religious prosperity of Punjabis. However, this decision will weaken Punjab’s right over Chandigarh and would hurt the sentiments of Punjabis.”

Slamming CM Bhagwant Mann, he further wrote, “Due to the illogical and absurd stand of the AAP CM, on an issue where all political parties of Punjab were united, Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh has weakened. During the Northern Zonal Council meeting in Jaipur in July 2022, when Haryana demanded land for its legislative assembly in the presence of the Union Home Minister, Mann, instead of opposing it, requested land for a Punjab assembly in Chandigarh as well, effectively supporting Haryana’s demand. Why should the people of Punjab bear the consequences of this Punjab-opposing stance taken by an inexperienced CM?”

“Chandigarh belongs to us. Why should we ask for land for our Vidhan Sabha from a place that is already ours? Mann should have opposed to Haryana’s demand. I will strongly take up the matter with PM Modi and seek his intervention to have this land allotment cancelled,” Jakhar told The Indian Express.

Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of conspiring against Punjab, Garg said that Chandigarh was built by displacing 22 villages from Kharar, and is politically, socially, economically, and culturally linked to Punjab.

“Chandigarh belongs to Punjab in every sense of the word. When Haryana was carved out of Punjab as a separate state, there was a promise that Chandigarh would eventually be handed over to Punjab after Haryana got its own capital. Until then, Chandigarh would remain a Union Territory. Instead of honour this promise and returning Chandigarh to Punjab, the BJP government is deliberately creating a dispute. The people of Punjab will never tolerate this,” he said, adding if Haryana government is providing 12 acres in Panchkula for the legislative assembly, why are they not constructing their Assembly there instead?

Appealing to the opposition in Punjab to unite on the issue, he said that the matter is not a party or an individual but for 3 crore Punjabis. He also appreciated Jakhar for speaking out against the decision, saying that he has shown the BJP’s central leadership the mirror, and they should seriously listen to Jakhar.

He also warned the Centre to not toy with the emotions of Punjabis and demanded that this decision be revoked immediately.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has condemned the Centre decision and called it a direct attack on Punjab’s rights. Dhami said this move is a blatant disregard for Punjab and its people, as Chandigarh was established on land belonging to Punjab villages, and therefore the city’s ownership rests solely with Punjab.

Meanwhile, senior SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Thursday said that the preparation to give land to Haryana was a part of a conspiracy to snatch from Punjab its rightful capital, built by uprooting Punjab’s villages.

He said that they would be planning a protest in Chandigarh in the coming days to raise several issues, including Punjab’s right on Chandigarh.

Addressing media in Chandigarh, Rajewal said, “We will hold a meeting of SKM soon in which we will plan the next morcha which will be in Chandigarh.”

He added that the Centre’s plan to snatch Punjab’s capital was successful as Mann demanded land for the construction of a separate assembly for Punjab on lines of Haryana to dilute Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh. “I do not know if he said it out of ignorance or he was made to say this. His demand has become a major reason that Punjab would lose its capital,” he said, adding that all political parties in Punjab should be made responsible for this as it was for them that “our capital is being given away due to their political interests”.

He added that most ministers in the Punjab government are “as incompetent as the CM. “Not only could they raise the issues with the Centre but due to their incompetence, it was for the first time that farmers had to wait till November to sell their paddy crop. Even now grains are overflowing in the mandis. By abolishing the Panjab University Senate, they are making an attempt to weaken the autonomy of a major educational institution,” he said.