OPINION | Retracting The Reins: Why BJP's Chandigarh Overreach Met Swift Political Rejection

In 2025, the Union government's attempt to bring Chandigarh under central control via a constitutional amendment sparked widespread condemnation in Punjab, including from the state BJP.

Source : PTI

In November 2025, the Union government stunned Punjab by listing the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to bring Chandigarh under Article 240, effectively empowering the President to directly regulate the Union Territory and potentially detach its administration from the Punjab Governor. For a state still nursing wounds from the 2020–21 farm laws, the move was instantly read as an attempt to erode Punjab’s historic claim over its capital, triggering memories of repeated central