Chandigarh special house meeting: BJP, Cong draw battle lines over Chandrayaan missions

To this, BJP councillor Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu said that for the success for the success of Chandrayaan-1, the credit also goes to saffron party’s former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the entire work for the mission started during his term. “This meeting was to thank ISRO scientists specifically and you can well imagine how they were behaving. What can be a bigger achievement for us that Nikhil Anand scientist is from Chandigarh,” Sidhu said.

He yet again reiterated remarks against Indira Gandhi to which all BJP councillors agreed as there was no one except BJP. BJP councillor Manoj Sonkar said that “Congress and AAP are not happy with the country’s achievements”.

As Congress went near the Mayor’s dais and started raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP said the remarks by the Grand Old Party are unwarranted and it should not be allowed to use derogatory language against the prime minister. “The way Congress used ill words about the prime minister, we request that they not be given permission to attend the next House meeting. They cannot use derogatory language against the PM,” BJP Councillor Harpreet Babla said.

Babla lauded ISRO team and Modi, and added that country’s space agency has changed the life of “younger scientists and raised our status internationally”. “Now begins the golden era of India in the field of space and research. We are indeed humbled,” she said.

The house then passed a resolution to convey their gratitude for the mission and also that the family of Nikhil Anand from Chandigarh be also honoured.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh Congress councillors and lone SAD councillor Hardeep Singh walked out of the proceedings in a heated tiff when Chandigarh Mayor Anup Gupta just allowed BJP councillor Babla to speak on the debate on Chandrayaan-3’s success.

Aam Aadmi party councillors did not attend this meeting and were all conspicuous by their absence in the house.

Commissioner’s surprise: Returns from leave, attends House meeting

Sources said that discussions were supposed to take place on the commissioner and councillors face off as well. To everyone’s surprise, commissioner returned from leave.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh was supposed to attend the House meeting in place of Commissioner Anindita Mitra as she last week went on leave. Mitra, though, returned leaving councillors surprised.

Following Mitra’s presence, no other discussion in the House could take place on her passing of the order on tender ban.

Also, the deadlock between officers and councillors was visible in the House meeting. In the meeting, the councillors asked why senior officers of MoH department were being shielded when arrested accused were naming them in their transcripts.