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."
According to orders, he would also be the Principal Secretary, Personnel and Vigilance, besides Financial Commissioner, Development, and Principal Secretary, Food Processing, Horticulture and Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
Senior SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Grewal and Daljit Cheema on Tuesday said it was most unfortunate that even after admitting that some wrong elements wanted to defame the 'kisan sangharsh', Rajewal had neither secured an unconditional apology from those guilty of hooliganism nor subjected them to the process of law.
The Prime minister further said that the visit would be an occasion to consolidate relations with our strategic partners - Japan and Australia - and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues. In a departure statement, the Prime Minister said he will be visiting the US from September 22-25 at the invitation of President Joe Biden.
The Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of this year.
The charge made by the BJP functionary comes a day after Kejriwal during his visit to poll-bound Goa on Tuesday, announced 80 per cent reservation in private sector jobs, Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 doles for the unemployed youth and families who have lost employment due to Covid respectively as well as setting up of a Skill university in the state.
Even as he reiterated his intention to counter any move to make Sidhu the state's Chief Minister face, Amarinder Singh said he will pit a strong candidate against him in the 2022 Assembly polls to ensure his defeat.
