Why Chandigarh matters: City at heart of federal flashpoint after back-to-back Centre pullbacks

Barely weeks after a political storm forced the Centre to withdraw its contentious Panjab University (PU) restructuring plan, Chandigarh has once again become the epicentre of a fierce federal confrontation — this time over the now-deferred proposal to place the Union Territory under Article 240 through the shelved 131st Constitution Amendment Bill. Although the Union Home Ministry has since clarified that no decision has been taken and no Bill will come in the Winter Session, the panic, outrage and competing claims triggered in the region underline a deeper truth: Chandigarh is not just territory — it is political history, constitutional identity, emotional inheritance and a source of unresolved federal anxieties.

The Tribune spoke to a cross-section of political leaders and prominent citizens to understand why Chandigarh matters — to residents, to Punjab, to parties, and to India’s federal fabric.

Former BJP Chandigarh president Sanjay Tandon, favouring the current status of Chandigarh, said the loudest voices in the controversy were not the ones who live in the city. “Chandigarh belongs to the people of Chandigarh. Without residents’ opinions, others should not turn it into a tug of war. Our city is our right before anyone else. No neighbourhood politics should dictate the will of city people,” he said.

City AAP chief Vijaypal Singh warned that centralising Chandigarh’s administration would “destroy its identity and hollow out democracy.” He said the city’s governance had always benefited from officers on deputation from Punjab and Haryana who understood local realities. “If officers with no connection to Punjab, Haryana or Chandigarh make decisions from Delhi, the relationship between administration and citizens will collapse. Chandigarh is not just land — it is an emotion.”

Congress Chandigarh chief HS Lucky said the escalating Centre-Punjab tensions only highlight the need for the long-neglected UT Administrator’s Advisory Council to meet immediately. “Thousands of residents suffer because civic and policy decisions remain stuck. Chandigarh needs a fixed five-year mayoral tenure, resolution of land pooling, freehold conversion for industries, housing board regularisation and colony ownership rights. The debate on UT status must happen transparently — not through sudden moves that unsettle the city.”

The Shiromani Akali Dal’s Chandigarh unit termed the Article 240 proposal an “assault on Punjab’s rights”, insisting that since Chandigarh was built on Punjab’s land, any attempt to restructure its administrative model was “unacceptable”. The SAD warned of democratic protests if any dilution of Punjab’s stake is attempted.

Prominent citizen and UT Advisory Council member Ajay Jagga offered a contrarian view, saying that a dedicated Lieutenant Governor was a “welcome change” and administratively overdue. “Chandigarh needs a full-time head. With disturbed-area laws long repealed and the Adviser already upgraded to Chief Secretary rank, a standalone LG aligns the UT with other centrally administered territories.”

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, the lone Punjabi face in the Union Council of Ministers, stepped in on Sunday to calm tempers, calling the uproar “fear-mongering” and asserting that “nothing — absolutely nothing — is happening that affects Punjab’s rights over Chandigarh”. Backed by an MHA statement ruling out any Bill in the Winter Session, he said Article 240 “means nothing here” and dismissed talk of appointing a Lieutenant Governor as “baseless speculation”.

But despite the Centre’s clarification, the rapid sequence of events — from PU overhaul to the Chandigarh restructuring push — has revived an old question with new intensity: Who decides what Chandigarh is, and who Chandigarh is for?

For now, the only consensus among political actors is this: Chandigarh matters — constitutionally, historically, emotionally, and electorally. And every move touching it will ignite a storm.

HOW TWO MOVES TRIGGERED POLITICAL STORM

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 7, 2025:

Panjab University Overhaul Sparks Outrage

The Tribune breaks the story on October 30 about historic restructuring of PU.

Massive cross-party backlash erupts in Punjab.

Centre issues four notifications in seven days to withdraw, dilute or reverse the move.

PU issue formally shelved within a week.

NOVEMBER 22:

Chandigarh Restructuring Move Surfaces

Parliament’s Winter Session bulletin shows proposal to bring Chandigarh under Article 240.

Political tempers explode in Punjab and Chandigarh within hours.

NOVEMBER 23:

Centre Steps Back

• MHA issues late-night clarification:

– No final decision taken.

– No plan to bring Bill in Winter Session.

– No change to Chandigarh’s governance or ties with Punjab/Haryana.

What people think

• Both moves seen as attempts to reshape Chandigarh’s governance without consultation.

• Punjab views the developments as dilution of its historic and emotional claim.

• Chandigarh residents fear loss of control, transparency and local accountability.

• Two back-to-back retreats indicate political cost of unilateral decisions in a highly sensitive region.