Chandigarh Mayor seeks Governor's action against 4 councillors for ruckus in MC meeting
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Take your experience further with Premium access. Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only BenefitsIn an unprecedented move, Chandigarh Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla has written to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding strict action against four opposition councillors—including Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty and Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta—for alleged gross misconduct, flagrant disruption, and hooliganism during the Municipal Corporation’s General House meeting on September 30.
In her letter, the Mayor stated that the conduct of councillors Prem Lata (AAP), Jasbir Singh Bunty (Congress), Taruna Mehta (Congress), and Sachin Galav (Congress) was “nothing short of disgraceful,” describing it as a “calculated and pre-planned attempt” to undermine the dignity and functioning of the democratic institution.
She alleged that their disruptive actions commenced with a sustained and aggressive protest and unruly scenes that lasted several hours, effectively stalling critical discussions on developmental agendas intended for the welfare of Chandigarh’s citizens.
The four councillors escalated their protest into an act of unprecedented indecorum and disorderly conduct by tearing up official copies of the House Minutes and physically hurling the shredded papers onto the Mayor’s dais, at Municipal Corporation officials assisting the Chair, and into the Well of the House, she said.
This act, the Mayor stated, constituted a direct and visible contempt for the Chair, the institution, and the official records of the Municipal Corporation.
She added that when the Chair was compelled to suspend the four councillors and call marshals to restore order, discipline, and decorum, they engaged in an alarming display of resistance. The resultant scuffle and chaotic confrontation involving the marshals and the councilors, including physical pushing, brought shame upon the House and eroded the dignity of the institution.
Mayor Babla further stated that the situation was exacerbated by Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, who attempted to usurp the authority of the Chair by holding a parallel meeting in the Well of the House, while the session was adjourned. She said he “assumed the role of Mayor,” indulging in mockery of democratic setup and esteem of the institution.
She urged the Governor to take the strongest possible action to set an unequivocal precedent that such behaviour will not be excused and faith of the residents is restored in the democratic functioning of the MC.