Punjab will fight for claim over Chandigarh: Cheema
Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Mar, 2022 11:14 AM
Chandigarh, March 28 (IANS) Saying Punjab will fight for its claim over Chandigarh, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the Centre was adopting a "dictatorial attitude" and was "continuously imposing anti-Punjab decisions".
"If they do not refrain from this, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Punjab government will fight from road to Parliament," he told the media here.
Cheema was responding the Centre's decision on new rules governing the Chandigarh Administration employees, who are currently working under the Punjab service rules but will now come under the Central Civil Services Rules.
He said the people of Punjab would never allow the Central government's plans to end Punjab's participation in the Chandigarh administration, Panjab University, and Bhakra Beas Management Committee (BBMB) to succeed.
Cheema accused the traditional ruling parties - the Congress and the BJP - at the Centre of treating Punjab in a step-motherly manner.
"Since the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Modi government has intensified its attacks on the rights of Punjab.
"The Modi government has been implementing decisions for a long time to abolish Punjab's share in Punjab University, BBMB and the Chandigarh administration and now Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced to remove Punjab service rules in the Chandigarh administration and implement Central rules.
"The verdict is one of coercion and dictatorship, which is a grand conspiracy against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab," he alleged.
Cheema said the BJP government has neither talked to the Punjab government nor any such demand has been made by the employees regarding the change of service rules. "It is implementing anti-Punjab rulings under a grand conspiracy as the BJP is now threatened by AAP in Gujarat and other states after Punjab."
The highest quantity has been procured from Punjab (1,86,85,53 MT) followed by Chhattisgarh (67,65,986 MT) and Telangana (65,54,739 MT) while the highest number of farmers benefitted in are Chhattisgarh (16,90,459), Telangana (9,67,134) and Punjab (9,24,299).
Hockey is one of the most popular sports in Punjab and many players from the state have been integral parts of the national team. The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 14, while the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and preserve all records in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, and also asked the state and Central committees to refrain from conducting inquiries till Monday, when it will take up the matter again.
India on Friday revised the existing guidelines for all international arrivals in India in view of the rising Covid cases and the Omicron threat, to make seven days home quarantine mandatory. The new guidelines will be effective from January 11 till further notice.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
On Thursday, senior BJP leaders including chief ministers of the party ruled states offered prayers at temples across the country for the well-being and long life of Prime Minister Modi after his security was breached in Punjab on January 5.
