Turf War: Amit Shah Announces Land for Haryana Assembly in Chandigarh, Punjab Leaders Protest

In what has set off a row between two neighbouring states, the union home minister has announced the allotment of land in Chandigarh for the construction of an additional Vidhan Sabha building for Haryana, triggering protests from politicians in the neighbouring state of Punjab.

Both states have been staking a claim to the union territory.

Union home minister Amit Shah made the announcement at the Northern Zonal Council meeting of states held in Jaipur.

Haryana chief minister Mahohar Lal Khattar, who also attended the meeting, said that a new delimitation exercise is expected to push up the assembly strength to 126 from the existing 90. “There is not enough space available in the existing building to even accommodate these 90 MLAs. Not only this, but it is also not possible to carry out the expansion, because it is a heritage building. It is, therefore, requested that sufficient space may be given in Chandigarh for the construction of a new additional building for the Vidhan Sabha,” said Khattar.

An elated Haryana assembly speaker, Gian Chand Gupta, later addressing the media in Chandigarh said that the announcement of the land allotment had been made by the home minister. “We have been trying to get land for the last one year. CM has a big role to play in taking the matter to Lok Sabha speaker, Vice President, and union home minister,” he said. “The present building doesn’t have space for ministers and Vidhan Sabha committees. Once we get the site, we will soon start the construction.”

But the announcement has sparked protests from Punjab leaders. Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “I appeal to the central government to allot land in Chandigarh for our Punjab to form its own Vidhan Sabha on the pattern of Haryana. There has been a long-standing demand that the Punjab-Haryana High Court be separated, that is why central government should provide land in Chandigarh.”

“We strongly condemn the partisan decision of BJP to allocate land for new Vidhan Sabha for Hry in Chandigarh which belongs to Punjab & built by uprooting Pbi speaking villages of Kharar tehsil. As per Reorganization Act Hry shd have their capital in their own state!” tweeted Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Congress’s Partap Singh Bajwa attacked both the BJP-ruled Centre as well as CM Bhagwant Mann on the matter.

The Akali Dal too has reacted sharply to the announcement. “Akali Dal will oppose this move of the Centre. It is like taking away the rights from Punjab. Chandigarh belongs to Punjab,” said Daljit Singh Cheema.

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