AAP, Congress and SAD condemn Modi govt's move to rechristen Chandigarh advisor’s post as chief secretary

Chandigarh: The AAP, Congress and SAD have slammed the Centre for its decision to re-designate the post of advisor to the Chandigarh administrator as the chief secretary, dubbing it as a "direct attack on Punjab's legitimate claim over the Union Territory".

The Union Home Ministry has rechristened the Chandigarh advisor’s post as chief secretary.

The charge of the advisor to the UT administrator was given to a senior IAS officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.

The Punjab governor holds the charge of the UT Chandigarh administrator.

Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.

Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly condemned the Centre's move, claiming it once again "exposes the anti-Punjab attitude" of the Central government.

It is an attempt to weaken Punjab's claim over Chandigarh, claimed AAP leader Neel Garg.

"The appointment of a chief secretary is meant for a state. Chandigarh is not a state, nor does it have a chief minister. Then why was there a need for the appointment of a chief secretary?" he told the media here.

Garg said the people of Punjab will never tolerate this decision, adding the Central government should reconsider and withdraw the decision.

The AAP spokesperson asserted "historically, politically and socially, Chandigarh belongs to Punjab".

"Chandigarh was built by uprooting 27 villages of Punjab. Therefore, the Central government should not make any major decisions without consulting the Punjab government," he said.

Garg recalled that the Centre had proposed a few months ago to allocate 10 acres of land in Chandigarh for Haryana to build an assembly, further "weakening" Punjab's claim over Chandigarh.

Reacting to the Centre's decision, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa called the move a "direct attack on Punjab's legitimate claim over the city".

Bajwa criticized this move as a "deliberate attempt to weaken" Punjab's position and marginalize the Punjabi community, which he believes is part of a broader agenda to undermine the state.

The Congress leader emphasized that this is not merely an administrative change, but a strategic move by the Centre to further "dilute" Punjab's rights.

"Chandigarh, which was carved from Punjab's villages, has always been a part of Punjab's rightful claim. This move is an assault on Punjab's dignity and a violation of the principles of federalism," he said.

Bajwa also highlighted the Centre's earlier move to raise a separate cadre for the Union Territory of Chandigarh, further weakening the 60:40 officer posting ratio between Punjab and Haryana.

"The Centre's creation of a separate cadre for Chandigarh was another step in diluting Punjab's stake in the city. This decision undermines the longstanding practice that ensured equal representation for both Punjab and Haryana in the administration of Chandigarh," he said in a statement.

Bajwa further pointed out that the Centre's decision to "abolish" the advisor's post and replace it with the title of chief secretary following the example of Delhi signals a broader effort to permanently convert Chandigarh into a Union Territory.

"Chandigarh's position was always meant to be temporary until it was transferred to Punjab," he said.

Bajwa also expressed his shock over Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's silence on this issue.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal warned the Union government against going ahead with the decision to re-designate the post of advisor to the UT administrator as the chief secretary, UT Chandigarh.

The SAD leader said the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab is a settled issue.

"Even the issue of the Hindi speaking areas to be transferred to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh stands settled beyond any possible dispute or doubt. Two separate Commissions set up by the Union government had categorically ruled in favour of Punjab, saying that there was no Hindi speaking area in the state that could be transferred to Haryana," Badal said in a statement.

"So, the only unfinished agenda of the 1966 re-organisation of Punjab was to restore to us our constitutional rights on the river waters as a riparian state, the transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab left out of the state and restoration of the state's control over institutions and authorities like the Bhakra Beas Management Board. Punjab demands nothing more than its due rights as guaranteed under the Constitution," he added.