Withdraw remarks on Punjab's rights on Chandigarh or face stir: Akalis to Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh, July 12

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today gave an ultimatum to Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann to withdraw his statement surrendering Punjab’s rights on Chandigarh and apologise for it, failing which it would approach all political parties to launch a joint agitation to secure the state’s rights.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the SAD core committee presided over by its president Sukhbir Badal. The committee said the manner in which the CM had recently tried to brazen it out when asked why he had taken an anti-Punjab stance indicated that he was acting on the instructions of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. It demanded Mann to explain his stand on all issues of Punjab, including Bhakra Beas Management Board, implementation of the central pay scale for UT employees and attempt to convert Panjab University into a central university by July 20.

The committee further said if this was not done, a three-member committee comprising Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sikander Singh Maluka, who also attended the meeting, would coordinate a joint agitation with other political parties.

Meanwhile, the committee also decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on July 19 and outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister on July 20. It noted that Union Minister Amit Shah could not take any decision on allotting land to Haryana in Chandigarh without taking the stakeholders into consideration.

Further, the committee asserted that the appointment of Raghav Chadha as the chairman of the Advisory Board was unconstitutional. “Anyone who has not taken the oath of the Constitution can’t be shown in official files,” it said, calling the move “a betrayal of the fatwa given by Punjabis”.