New Delhi: Haryana’s’ move after Punjab to take over the joint capital Chandigarh ‘alone’ has paved the way for a war of words between neighbors. After the Aam Aadmi Party government convened a special assembly session to pass a resolution calling for Chandigarh to be part of Punjab, Haryana also decided to discuss the issue of Chandigarh’s return in the special assembly session on April 5. Moreover, Haryana’s move is aimed at strengthening the need for Hindi-speaking areas to be annexed to Haryana.
The decision to convene a special assembly session on April 5 was taken at a cabinet meeting held at the residence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. A spokesman for the state government said the special assembly session would begin on April 5 at 11 am.
The Haryana government was surprised to see Punjab suddenly assert its claim to Chandigarh. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Punjab government should have taken all concerned into confidence before making such a claim in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij scoffed at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for not understanding the real issues related to Haryana and Punjab. He criticized the Punjab government for claiming Chandigarh. He alleged that the AAP government was raising such a demand to divert people’s attention from the real issues after realizing that the election promises made to the people of Punjab could not be kept.
English Summary: Punjab, Haryana lock horns over who gets to keep Chandigarh