Haryana Calls Special Assembly Session On Tuesday Amid Faceoff With Punjab Over Transfer Of Chandigarh

Haryana CM ML Khattar targetted the Punjab government saying that the respect for an elder brother (Punjab) remains only till the time when he worries about the younger brother's interests.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The Haryana government has called a special session of the assembly on Tuesday, days after Punjab passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of the Union Territory of Chandigarh to the AAP-ruled state.

Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma informed that the decision to summon the special session was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers on Sunday, news agency PTI reported.

The Minister, who was in Faridabad, said that he joined the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, virtually.

"A decision was taken to summon the special session of Haryana Assembly on April 5. Several issues will be taken up in the special session, which has been summoned after Punjab brought in the resolution," Chand Sharma told PTI.

The news agency cited sources as revealing that the Haryana government is likely to bring in a resolution in the state assembly against Punjab's move for Chandigarh and take up other issues, including Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said that "Punjab is yet to give Haryana its rightful share of space in the common assembly building for the two states (in Chandigarh)."

While the provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 provides for 40 per cent of the space in the assembly building to Haryana, it, however, has got only 27 per cent of the space till now, the Haryana speaker mentioned.

He informed that a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the House has been summoned at 9.30 am before the start of the special session on Tuesday at 11 am.

Haryana CM ML Khattar Targets Punjab Govt, Seeks Hindi-Speaking Areas For His State

Addressing a public gathering in Jind district's Safidon on Sunday, CM ML Khattar targetted the Punjab government saying that the respect for an elder brother (Punjab) remains only till the time when he worries about the younger brother's interests.

This statement is in reference to Punjab as Haryana's elder brother being the state which was carved out of it in 1966.

Chandigarh is the common capital of Punjab and Haryana.

Khattar also brought up the SYL canal matter and the issue of Hindi speaking areas as he said that Punjab should give over 400 villages that Haryana deserved to get.

"I want to tell people of Punjab to be wary, as they are trapped in wrong hands. They should keep an eye on their activities, and the kind of language they (AAP government) have started to speak after coming to power. Such things are not in Haryana's, Punjab's our country's interests," he remarked, as quoted by PTI.

Earlier as well, the Haryana Chief Minister had stressed that the AAP-led government in Punjab should first get the SYL canal built and transfer Punjab's Hindi-speaking areas to Haryana.

The Punjab government's move on April 1 to bring in the resolution in the state assembly came in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that the central service rules will apply to the employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Besides the ruling AAP, the Punjab unit of the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had criticised the Centre's decision, claiming that it goes against the Punjab Reorganisation Act.

Meanwhile, in Rohtak, Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda termed Punjab's resolution a "political jumla".

The former Haryana chief minister, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, said that no one will be allowed to harm the state's interests.

"We are ready to make any sacrifice to protect Haryana's interests," he asserted.

The SYL canal issue has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana for several decades.

While Punjab demands a reassessment of its share of the water of the Ravi-Beas river, Haryana seeks completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre-feet of water.

(With Agency Inputs)