Refuting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Sukhbir Singh Badal’s claims and rubbishing his apprehensions, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson on Friday, 13 August, said that the Centre is not considering divesting the Punjab Governor of his responsibility as Chandigarh Administrator.
The Press Information Bureau, on Friday, quoted an MHA spokesperson as saying: “Apprehension expressed in Sukhbir Singh Badal’s tweet that he met and urged the Union Home Minister to review the Union Government’s decision to appoint a full-fledged Administrator for Chandigarh by divesting the Governor of Punjab of this charge, is unfounded.”
The MHA also clarified, “The Centre has not taken any decision of divesting the Punjab Governor of his responsibility of Chandigarh Administrator neither is any such proposal under contemplation.”
Further, the ministry claimed that SAD chief Badal had not raised this issue with the home minister.
WHAT HAD THE SAD CHIEF SAID?
Taking to Twitter, on Thursday, 12 August, Sukhbir Singh Badal had sad that he had “met and urged Home Minister Amit Shah to review the Union government’s decision to appoint a full-fledged administrator for Chandigarh by divesting Punjab governor of this charge.”
Further, Badal had dubbed the said decision “another attempt to dilute Punjab’s claim to its capital city” and said that it was totally unacceptable.
He also tweeted that he had conveyed to the home minister that there was no reason to get a full-fledged administrator from outside Punjab
“Till the UT is not transferred to Punjab, the officer should be appointed from the state.”
Stating that Chandigarh is inseparable from Punjab, Badal added that it “must and must be transferred to it (Punjab) ASAP".
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