Chandigarh: Amid political uproar in Punjab over the Centre’s proposal to convey Chandigarh below Article 240 of the Structure, which empowers the President to make laws for union areas and legislate instantly, the Dwelling Ministry has stated it has “no intention of introducing a invoice to this impact” within the Winter Parliament.
MHA’s newest info was launched on Sunday afternoon. The following day, Parliament and the Sabah state journal introduced that the federal government would desk the Structure (131st Modification) Invoice 2025 within the winter session of parliament beginning December 1 to make the modifications efficient.
The bulletin stated the invoice seeks to incorporate Chandigarh, a union territory, below Article 240, together with different UTs with out parliaments akin to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman Diu and Puducherry (in case the legislative meeting is dissolved or suspended).
The information sparked a political backlash in Punjab, with Chief Minister Sunil Jakhar of the Bharatiya Janata Get together issuing a press release saying the “confusion” can be “resolved” in talks with the federal government.
“Chandigarh is an integral a part of Punjab and the Punjab Folks’s Get together firmly helps the pursuits of the nation, whether or not it’s Chandigarh points or Punjab waters. Any confusion that arises relating to Chandigarh might be resolved by speaking to the federal government. As a Punjabi myself, I guarantee you that Punjab will all the time be our prime precedence,” Jakhar posted on X.
Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, with each states claiming unique possession of town. The Centre’s transfer was seen as an try and weaken Punjab’s declare to Chandigarh and was fiercely opposed by political events within the state, aside from the Bharatiya Janata Get together, which warned of “unprecedented protests”.
Because the row threatened to snowball into a significant controversy, the house ministry issued a press release saying the proposal “merely simplifies the central authorities’s law-making course of within the Union Territory of Chandigarh” and was “nonetheless into account with the central authorities”.
The assertion added that the proposal “by no means seeks to vary the governance or administrative construction of Chandigarh” and doesn’t intention to vary the normal preparations between Chandigarh and Punjab or Haryana.
“An acceptable choice might be taken solely after full session with all stakeholders, retaining in thoughts the pursuits of Chandigarh. There isn’t a want for any concern on this challenge. The central authorities has no intention of introducing a invoice to this impact within the upcoming winter session of Parliament,” wrote a publish on X.
Earlier, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann vowed that the Punjab authorities wouldn’t tolerate the Bharatiya Janata Get together-led NDA authorities’s “conspiracy” to “deprive” Chandigarh from the state. In a press release issued on Saturday, AAP leaders stated Chandigarh has been, is and can proceed to be an integral a part of the state, including that the amendments proposed by the Union authorities won’t be accepted.
He stated that each mother or father state has the only real proper to the capital, however a grave injustice is being achieved to Punjab by not permitting the state to be given the capital completely. He stated there are few akin to this. Mann stated the stark reality was that the Bharatiya Janata Get together-led coalition authorities had dedicated grave injustices in opposition to the nation by “conspiring to deprive us of capital”.
He stated nobody can deny that the mother or father state Punjab has the only real proper to the capital Chandigarh. He alleged that successive governments on the Heart had dedicated grave injustice to the state by denying it the capital.
Solely the proposal to simplify the law-making strategy of the central authorities within the Union Territory of Chandigarh remains to be into account with the central authorities. No last choice has but been made on this proposal. This proposal is by no means aimed toward altering the state of affairs in Chandigarh…
— PIB – Ministry of Dwelling Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) November 23, 2025
Senior lawmaker and opposition chief Partap Singh Bajwa stated the transfer was a “deliberate assault” on Punjab.
“Chandigarh was created because the capital of Punjab in 1966 and the Governor of Punjab served as its custodian for many years. The Centre’s present 131st Modification transfer to raise Chandigarh below Article 240 is nothing however snatching town from Punjab. It’s an open assault on historical past, federalism and the rights of Punjab,” he stated in a publish on X.
He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Get together authorities is pushing a “politically charged” invoice to reorganize Chandigarh together with different UTs. “That is one more deliberate assault on Punjab. From Chandigarh to the river basins to Punjab College, the Heart is constantly chipping away on the legit rights of Punjab. All political events in Punjab should come collectively and develop a technique to cease this unprecedented overreach,” he stated. I wrote it to X.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal additionally appealed to the Union authorities to not convey the invoice, saying that bringing the invoice can be tantamount to betrayal and discrimination in opposition to the courageous Punjabis who sacrificed essentially the most for the nation. He stated it could be like reversing all guarantees made to Punjab handy over Chandigarh to Punjab.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the SAD chairman stated, “(The invoice) goals to finish Punjab’s declare of Chandigarh as its capital.”
Describing the proposed invoice as an assault on the rights of Punjab, Badal stated, “Additionally it is in opposition to federalism and quantities to discrimination in opposition to Punjabis who’ve been on the forefront of the liberty battle to guard our borders in addition to usher within the inexperienced revolution to make sure meals safety for our folks.”
Claiming that the proposed invoice additionally goes in opposition to the solemn promise given by the Heart to convey Chandigarh again into Punjab, Badal stated the Union authorities had accepted in precept the switch of Chandigarh to Punjab in 1970.
Thereafter, the Rajiv Longowal Settlement mounted a deadline of January 1986 for the switch of Chandigarh to Punjab, he stated. “This settlement was ratified by Congress, but it surely by no means noticed the sunshine of day.”
Mr. Badal alleged that the Heart has steadily diluted Punjab’s declare on Chandigarh over the previous few a long time by inserting officers from Punjab and Haryana respectively in union territory, posting officers of the UT (AGMUT) cadre in Chandigarh, and complying with different measures, together with “diluting” Punjab’s grip on Punjab College.
in Submit On Sunday, he stated the SAD had convened an emergency assembly of the social gathering’s core committee to “plan and formulate a powerful and decisive response to the anti-Punjab Structure (131st Modification) Invoice”.
Chandigarh was established because the capital of Punjab in 1966, and the Governor of Punjab served as its administrator for a number of a long time. Now, the Centre’s 131st Modification transfer to withdraw Chandigarh below Article 240 is nothing however depriving town from Punjab. It is an open assault on historical past. …
— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) November 22, 2025
Congress State Secretary Amarinder Singh Raja Waring stated Any transfer to vary Chandigarh’s standing might be met with “unprecedented” resistance.
AAP MP Malvinder Khan stated all MPs from Punjab want to return collectively and work on this.
“The necessity for unity is now. All MPs in Punjab should unite throughout political traces, forge a standard entrance and reject this modification within the Winter Parliament. Historical past won’t tolerate those that select silence,” he wrote in X.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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