BJP councillors get party’s support in stand against Chandigarh administration

Day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors expressed their anger against the “undemocratic” attitude of the administration and threatened to hand over mass resignation, the party leaders cutting across ranks rallied behind them in their stand.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Jatinder Pal Malhotra, the party’s local unit president, was attended by most BJP councillors including Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, as well as organising secretary Manthri Srinivasulu.

The leaders were of the view that the situation has become serious due to the anti-public attitude of some of the officers who were “working against the people of the city”. They said their demand will be raised at the highest level to shift such officers from the administration.

The councillors had opened a front against the Chandigarh administration over the financial crunch of the Municipal Corporation and ignoring the public representatives in the decision making process.

Rajiv Sharma, chief spokesperson of Chandigarh Congress, however, dismissed the threat of resignation from the BJP councillors as an attempt to divert attention from the blatantly anti-Chandigarh approach of national leadership of the saffron party.

He said the Administration cannot work beyond the policies, directions and mandate of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Saying that no purpose will be served if the BJP councillors resign from their MC posts, the Congress spokesperson called upon them to instead resign from the party to help the city.