AAP, Congress, SAD Slam Centre’s Move to Rename Chandigarh Advisor Post as Chief Secretary

GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 9th Jan. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have strongly criticized the Centre’s decision to re-designate the post of the Chandigarh administrator’s advisor as the chief secretary, calling it a “direct attack on Punjab’s legitimate claim over the Union Territory.”

The Union Home Ministry’s decision to rename the post and appoint a senior IAS officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre to oversee the position has drawn sharp responses from Punjab’s political parties.

AAP leader Neel Garg called the move a deliberate attempt to undermine Punjab’s rightful claim over Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Garg questioned the need for a chief secretary in Chandigarh, noting that the city is neither a state nor has a chief minister.

“This exposes the anti-Punjab attitude of the Central government,” said Garg, demanding that the Centre reconsider and withdraw the decision. He also reminded the government of the historical significance of Chandigarh to Punjab, stating, “Chandigarh was built by uprooting 27 villages from Punjab.”

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, condemned the move as a “strategic attack” on Punjab’s position, highlighting how the Centre’s recent actions, including creating a separate cadre for Chandigarh and plans for an assembly in the city for Haryana, have “weakened Punjab’s stake” in the region. Bajwa argued that the move to appoint a chief secretary was an “assault on Punjab’s dignity” and violated federal principles.

SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal warned the Centre against moving forward with the decision, stressing that the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab was a “settled issue.” He pointed out that two separate Commissions had already ruled in Punjab’s favour regarding the city’s rightful claim.

Badal reaffirmed that the “unfinished agenda” from the 1966 Punjab reorganization should be addressed by restoring Punjab’s rights over the river waters and institutions like the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

The political parties have urged the Centre to respect Punjab’s constitutional rights and avoid any further moves that might diminish the state’s claim over Chandigarh.