CHANDIGARH: The BJP-led Union Government has proposed to include Chandigarh under Article 240, allowing the President to appoint a separate Lieutenant Governor for the Union Territory, which is now administered by the Punjab Governor.
The ruling AAP and Congress have raised concerns over the proposed bill, stating that it will further dilute Punjab's claim over its own capital.
The Constitution (131 Amendment) Bill, 2025, is slated to be introduced in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1, 2025, according to a bulletin on the Rajya Sabha website.
"We strongly oppose the proposed constitution (131st Amendment) Bill being brought by the Central government in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. The amendment is against the interests of Punjab," Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote on X.
"The Union Territory of Chandigarh, built by uprooting villages of our state, belongs solely to Punjab. We will not let our right slip away just like that. For that we will take whatever steps are necessary," Mann stated.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa issued a call for unity across party lines. Bajwa warned that the Centre aims to bring Chandigarh under Article 240—placing it directly under a centrally appointed administrator, much like other Union Territories.
"This bill is a clear attempt to weaken Punjab’s historical, constitutional, and emotional claim over its own capital," he said.
Calling the move “yet another assault on Punjab,” Bajwa accused the Union Government of persistently eroding the state’s rights—whether on Chandigarh, river waters or Panjab University.
Bajwa said that Punjab has always succeeded when it stands united, citing the farmers’ movement and the Panjab University Bachao Morcha as recent examples of collective strength.
"The time has come again for Punjabis to rise above party lines and defend their rightful capital. Our response must be united, firm, and unequivocal," he added.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring sought clarification from the Union Government and appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clarify the situation.
"Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and any attempt to snatch it away will have serious repercussions," he warned.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal appealed to the Union government not to introduce the bill. He asserted that going ahead with the move would mean going back on all commitments made to hand over Chandigarh to Punjab.
He further stated that the bill is a betrayal of goodwill placed in the Centre by Punjabis who had sacrificed the most for the country.
Asserting that the proposed bill would also go against the solemn commitments given by the Centre to restore Chandigarh to Punjab, Badal said that the Union government accepted in principle to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab in 1970.
He said, subsequently the Rajiv-Longowal accord fixed a deadline of January, 1986 for the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. "The accord was also ratified by Parliament but did not see the light of day."
Badal said over the last few decades the Centre had steadily diluted Punjab’s claim to Chandigarh by not adhering to the 60:40 ratio formula in posting employees from Punjab and Haryana respectively in the union territory, posting officers from the UT (AGMUT) cadre in Chandigarh and other measures including diluting Punjab’s control over the Panjab University.
AAP Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Vikramjit Singh Sahney urged all MPs from Punjab, cutting across party lines, to immediately call upon Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting not to table this bill that proposes to dilute Punjab's claim over the capital, which Haryana also claims.
"At present the administrator of Chandigarh is the Punjab Governor with this move, it is likely to be administered by an independent administrator,’’ he added.
This development comes barely days after the Union government withdrew a controversial notification that sought to change the governance structure of Panjab University.