With AAP in Punjab, city unit in a fix over Chandigarh, stages a walkout

The choices for these AAP councillors, though limited, were difficult — vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- supported resolution of Chandigarh retaining its status as a Union Territory and go against its own party’s claim on Chandigarh as passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha; or vote against the resolution and risk facing the ire of the local residents who voted for them during the December civic polls.

The party on Thursday then ultimately settled on its only feasible option — staging a walkout — along with the councillors of the SAD and the Congress. On Thursday, BJP’s Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu stated that the AAP councillors were not ready to discuss the agenda at all since “it wasn’t suiting the political objective of the party”.

As BJP councillors started speaking on the resolution of Chandigarh remaining a Union Territory, the AAP councillors interjected in the house and asked the BJP to “first clear its stance on the hiked water tariffs on which the party had taken a U-Turn.”

BJP councillors Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu, Kanwar Rana, and others, then immediately got up saying that the meeting had not been called to discuss water tariff issue but to convey the sentiments of the residents of Chandigarh. Sidhu told the AAP councillors, “You should not make the issue political. Before anything you all should know that you have been elected by the residents of Chandigarh…so it is your moral duty to convey the voices of the residents of Chandigarh who don’t want their city to either be a part of Haryana or Punjab.”

However, AAP leader, Yogesh Dhingra, stated “The BJP has its government in the Centre. The Chandigarh’s Member of Parliament is also from the BJP. Let the Centre take the decision. Do you think it is within our purview or jurisdiction to even decide on this matter. Let the Centre decide.”

The AAP councillors then, led by Prem Lata, Taruna Mehta and others, created a ruckus in the House, demanding that the BJP first discuss the issue of hiked water tariff. Chandigarh Mayor and BJP councillor, Sarabjit Kaur, stated that she had taken representatives from each party to a meeting with the Administrator.

The AAP then contended that the BJP isn’t talking about the development works in the city. However, the BJP countered by stating that “first they should discuss the key issue, which was two states claiming and exercising their right on Chandigarh.”

However, the AAP again raked up the issue of water tariff and started raising slogans against the BJP, post which the party’s councillors decided to stage a walkout.

Talking to The Indian Express, BJP ‘s Mahesh Sidhu said, “We also have our leadership in Haryana….but we have been very vocal of the fact that Chandigarh is ours and we wont give it to any one. All leaders have risen above party lines to discuss this issue. And here they have boycotted the issue altogether. the AAP functions as an autocratic outfit, where everyone needs to tow the line. Even the Congress does that. The Congress’ senior leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been vocal about Chandigarh and passed a resolution with the BJP. But here, the Congress didn’t even support the agenda. They quietly walked out.”

CONGRESS WALKED OUT QUIETLY BEFORE RESOLUTION

Though all the parties supported the agenda on Chandigarh when the issue was brought up in Punjab and Haryana assemblies, in Chandigarh, the AAP, the Congress and Akali Dal didn’t support the BJP’s resolution, instead choosing to stage a walkout.

Congress councillors, Gurpreet Singh and Gurbax Rawat, said that they personally thought that Chandigarh has its own identity. Yet they walked out before the resolution was to be passed.

Gurpreet Singh stated that though Chandigarh is being treated like and being kicked around like a football by the states of Punjab and Haryana, there were agendas that the House should discuss.