Punjab has inalienable right over Chandigarh: Sukhbir Badal

Chandigarh, Nov 24 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said Punjab has an inalienable right over Chandigarh and that his party will not tolerate any attempt to "snatch" it from the state.

In a statement issued after the party's core committee meeting here, he also demanded that Chandigarh be transferred to Punjab.

Badal's remarks came days after a bulletin of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha listed a bill that proposes to bring Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to make regulations for the Union territory and legislate directly.

Political parties of Punjab, including the ruling AAP, the Congress and the SAD, have targeted the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of attempting to "snatch" Chandigarh from Punjab.

However, the Centre on Sunday clarified that it has no intention of presenting any bill on Chandigarh's administration in the Winter session of Parliament, assuring that the proposal in no way seeks to alter the Union territory's governance or administrative structure.

In a statement, Badal said, "The latest central move to end Punjab's right to Chandigarh by making it a regular Union territory, attempts to end the democratic setup in the Panjab University and take it under central control, besides diluting Punjab's control over the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) were also injustices being meted out to Punjab." Asserting that Punjab has an inalienable right over Chandigarh, the former deputy chief minister said the SAD will not tolerate any attempt to "snatch" it. PTI CHS DIV DIV DIV