CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla has written to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding accountability for the unruly scenes that erupted during the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s General House meeting on September 30.
In her letter, Babla alleged that four opposition councillors — Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta, and councillors Prem Lata and Sachin Galav — engaged in “gross misconduct, flagrant disruption and hooliganism.” She urged the Administrator to fix responsibility and take action to “restore the esteem of the civic body in the public eye.”
“Their disruptive actions commenced with a sustained and aggressive protest leading to unruly scenes that lasted several hours, stalling critical discussions on developmental agendas intended for the welfare of Chandigarh residents,” Babla wrote.
According to the Mayor, the four councillors escalated their protest by tearing up official copies of the meeting minutes and throwing the shredded papers toward the Mayor’s dais, MC officials, and into the well of the House. “Such an action is a direct and visible act of contempt against the chair, the institution, and the official records of the MC,” she stated.
Babla said she was forced to suspend the four councillors and summon marshals to restore order. “When the chair was compelled to suspend them, they engaged in an alarming display of resistance,” she wrote. The confrontation reportedly led to pushing and a scuffle between the marshals and the councillors, which, she said, “brought shame to the House and eroded the dignity of the institution.”
The Mayor also alleged that the situation worsened when Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty attempted to hold a “parallel meeting” in the well of the House after the session was adjourned. “He assumed the role of Mayor, making a mockery of the democratic set-up and esteem of the institution,” she said.
Babla called on the Administrator to ensure accountability. “It is imperative that responsibility is swiftly and firmly fixed to demonstrate a commitment to procedural integrity,” she wrote, adding that strong action was necessary to set a precedent against such behavior within the “sacred precincts” of the General House.
However, a senior legal expert familiar with the Municipal Act said the UT Administrator does not have the authority to act against any councillor for conduct within a House meeting. “Under the law applicable in Chandigarh, the Administrator has no such power,” the expert said. “If the Mayor believes she was personally mistreated, she can file a complaint in court at her own level.”
The September 30 session, which was expected to discuss developmental agendas, ended abruptly amid shouting, paper-tearing, and protests. The incident has since triggered sharp exchanges between the ruling and opposition groups within the corporation.
