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AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and SAD person Harsimrat Kaur Badal connected Sunday (November 23, 2025) powerfully opposed a Constitution Amendment measure acceptable to beryllium introduced successful Parliament to see Chandigarh nether Article 240, empowering the President to marque regulations for the Union territory and legislate directly.
The Centre volition bring the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025, successful the upcoming Winter league of Parliament, opening December 1, according to a Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha bulletin.
If the measure is passed, Chandigarh could person an autarkic administrator, akin to having had an autarkic main caput successful the past. Chandigarh serves arsenic the associated superior of Punjab and Haryana.
This projected amendment has sparked governmental outrage successful Punjab, with the ruling AAP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) criticising the BJP-led Centre, accusing the authorities of attempting to "snatch" Chandigarh from Punjab.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nationalist convener Arvind Kejriwal vehemently opposed the Centre's projected move, calling it a "direct attack" connected Punjab's individuality and law rights.
"The BJP-led cardinal government's effort to destruct Punjab's rights implicit Chandigarh done law amendment is not portion of a elemental move, but a nonstop onslaught connected Punjab's individuality and law rights. This mentality of undermining the national operation and depriving Punjabis of their rights is highly dangerous," Mr. Kejriwal said successful a station connected X.
"Punjab, which has ever sacrificed for the nation's security, food, water, and humanity, is contiguous being deprived of its ain share. This is not conscionable an administrative decision, but akin to wounding the psyche of Punjab.
"History bears witnesser that Punjabis person ne'er bowed earlier immoderate dictatorship. Punjab volition not bow adjacent today. Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and volition stay with Punjab," helium further said.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP and erstwhile Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that with this move, Punjab volition suffer its rights implicit Chandigarh.
"The Shiromani Akali Dal powerfully opposes the projected Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill being brought by the Central Government successful this wintertime session. With this amendment, Chandigarh volition beryllium converted into a state, and Punjab volition wholly suffer its close implicit Chandigarh," she said.
Ms. Badal described the connection arsenic a important stroke to Punjab, noting that the Congress enactment had initially taken Chandigarh from Punjab and asserting that the determination to marque it a abstracted authorities would not beryllium accepted.
"This amendment measure is simply a robbery of the rights of Punjab and besides a usurpation of the principles of national structure. The Shiromani Akali Dal volition not let this to hap and volition powerfully reason it successful this session," she said.
The SAD has called an exigency gathering of its halfway committee connected November 24 to sermon this issue. SAD person Daljit Singh Cheema said the meeting, to beryllium chaired by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, volition illustration retired the adjacent steps.
Senior law experts volition beryllium consulted to finalise a beardown strategy to antagonistic the Centre's move, helium added.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh said that the Centre's latest endeavour aims to "completely snatch" Chandigarh from Punjab and alteration it into a abstracted Union territory. He described this enactment arsenic "an enactment of sheer aggression that Punjab volition ne'er accept."
"I impulse Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to powerfully reason this anti-Punjab determination successful Monday's Assembly league and walk a solution against it. An all-party gathering indispensable beryllium convened truthful that Punjab tin basal united, spell to Delhi earlier the Parliament session, signifier a protestation against this unconstitutional assault, and conscionable the president with an all-party delegation to formally registry Punjab's objection," said Mr. Singh.
Currently, the Punjab politician serves arsenic the Administrator of the UT of Chandigarh. It was antecedently administered independently by a main caput since November 1, 1966, erstwhile Punjab was reorganised.
However, since June 1, 1984, Chandigarh has been administered by the Punjab politician and the main secretary's presumption was converted to an advisor to the UT administrator.
In August 2016, the Centre sought to reconstruct the aged signifier of having an autarkic head by appointing erstwhile IAS serviceman K J Alphons for the apical post.
However, the determination was withdrawn aft stiff absorption from the then-Punjab main minister, Parkash Singh Badal, who was portion of the NDA, and different parties, including the Congress and AAP.
Punjab, which has staked its assertion connected Chandigarh, besides wants the contiguous transportation of Chandigarh to it. The main curate has reiterated this request during a caller gathering of the Northern Zonal Council held successful Faridabad.
