Day after,Mayor blames BJP for stalling House

“There is no provision of zero hour in the Act. Yet the previous Mayors decided that half an hour would be kept for discussion of issues vital for Chandigarh. The BJP stretches it on to several hours. During the question hour,the member whose question is included can further make two queries. The BJP,however wants decisions to be taken. This cannot be done,” he said.

Chawla added that the BJP is divided into three groups and councillors are affiliated with each group and they make attempts to outshine the other. “The BJP councillors use double-meaning phrases in the House. In the last five meetings the leader of Opposition has had to apologise for the language he used. The Act says that no councillor can criticise the Administrator in the House which one of the BJP councillors did,” he said. The Mayor also alleged that the BJP opposes all decisions being taken without any basis. He added that the BJP was trying to flare up issues related to religion by saying that religious functions have been banned in community centres by the Congress. None of the BJP councillors gave a dissent when the agenda was being passed.

Making reference to councillors who ‘oppose the interference of the Mayor in their wards’,Chawla said that if the councillors take proper care of the wards then he would not have to do it. “If any councillor wants me to come to his or her ward,I will come,” he said.

Recently Congress councillor Mukesh Bassi complained of ‘undue interference’ of the Mayor in his ward. It has been decided that a General House meeting would be held on August 8 to discuss issues pertaining to religious places and installation of water meters. A policy for the same would also be made.