A day after the Punjab assembly passed a resolution demanding the transfer of Chandigarh to the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked its neighbour to first give Hindi-speaking areas to the state. Khattar also condemned the resolution saying Chandigarh will remain the joint capital of both the states.
“They should not have done this. Rajiv–Longowal Accord was signed 35-36 years ago, as per which it is the capital of both Haryana and Punjab. I said yesterday too that there are several issues related to it…If they want to do something like this, they should first go to Supreme Court over resolving Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. The Hindi-speaking areas were also not given to Haryana, which delayed the rest of the issues. They should say that they are ready to give Hindi-speaking areas to Haryana,” said Khattar.
The Haryana chief minister also said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal should condemn the Punjab government’s move and apologise to the people of Haryana. “Punjab CM should also apologise to the people of Haryana. What they have done is condemnable,” said Khattar.
The Punjab Assembly passed the resolution yesterday, days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said now central service rules will apply to employees of the union territory, a move described as an encroachment on the state’s rights by several parties.
Khattar also said that not only Punjab and Haryana, but the people of Himachal Pradesh also claim their share in Chandigarh. “The Supreme Court in one of its judgments had said that under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, Himachal Pradesh too has the right to 7.19 per cent of Chandigarh’s land. It is a different matter that Himachal Pradesh has declared Shimla as its capital,” he said.
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were carved out of Punjab more than five decades ago.