Chandigarh: A day after the Punjab Congress’ protest against Haryana’s move for its separate vidhan sabha building in Chandigarh, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday joined the tirade against Haryana for the same.
Conspicuously enough, former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar - who had joined BJP in May this year - too has opposed Haryana’s move.
For record, since Chandigarh has a unique status of being the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, it has a common complex – with a heritage building status – housing in it the assemblies of both the states.
The AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said Punjab had the sole right on Chandigarh and Haryana would not be allowed to construct its separate legislative assembly in Chandigarh.
Chandigarh was established on the land of Punjab
Kang held that Chandigarh was established on the land of dozens of villages of Punjab and added that AAP party and Punjab government would vehemently oppose any proposal of the Haryana government to build its separate legislative assembly in Chandigarh. Stating that not an inch of land in Chandigarh would be given to Haryana, he further held that Haryana should have its legislative assembly in Panchkula, Karnal or elsewhere.
In another development, Jakhar in reaction to the Haryana’s move, urged both Haryana and Punjab chief ministers to show magnanimity and not to rake up the issue and utilise the historic Vidhan Sabha on a rotational basis.
Asking both the states to avoid any sparring, he held that the issue could be misused by vested interests, he espoused rotational use of the assembly complex which is an internationally known heritage building.
Congress had assailed Haryana BJP
On Sunday, the Congress had assailed Haryana BJP a day after the state vidhan sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta called on Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, also Chandigarh (union territory) administrator, and urged upon him to speed up the process of allotting the land for new state assembly building.
Stating that since Chandigarh belonged to both Punjab and Haryana, the new Haryana Vidhan Sabha building would be constructed in Chandigarh, Gupta had held that the 20 rooms which came under Haryana’s share were still in the possession of the Punjab legislative assembly, hence lack of adequate space for Haryana legislators, ministers and their committees along with the employees and the need for a new building.
Amit Shah had announced that land would be given to Haryana
It may also be recalled that in July, this year, the Union home minister Amit Shah, while chairing the 30th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council meeting in Jaipur had announced that land would be given to Haryana for its additional legislative assembly in Chandigarh.
Reacting to the meeting between Gupta and Punjab governor and UT administrator, the Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring had also said any move to grant land to Haryana in Chandigarh would mean encroachment on Punjab’s rights which people of Punjab would resist at all costs.
