AMRITSAR, November 23 — Religious leaders and political organisations in Punjab have reacted sharply to the Union government’s proposed Chandigarh amendment, with the Akal Takht and the SGPC denouncing the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) calling an urgent meeting to frame a collective pushback.
Acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, said the timing of the proposal had caused deep concern among Sikhs. He noted that the community is observing the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, and said the Centre should have moved to strengthen Punjab’s historic rights. “Instead of granting what belongs to the Panth and Punjab, they are taking a different path,” he said.
Gargaj said Chandigarh remains integral to Punjab’s legacy. “Punjab is not a sugar candy but iron chickpeas,” he remarked, warning that the Bill represented yet another attempt to erode Punjab’s rightful authority over the Union Territory. He said Chandigarh was built over displaced Punjab villages and belongs to all communities, cautioning the Centre against creating friction over the city.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the panel would stand alongside the SAD to oppose the measure. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has convened a core committee at the party headquarters in Chandigarh to determine the next course of action.
Calling the amendment part of a pattern, Badal said, “First they restricted Punjab’s role in BBMB, then they weakened the SGPC and backed the Haryana committee, and now they are proposing changes in Chandigarh’s governance. We will meet the SGPC and resist this together.”
Further announcements are expected after Monday’s meeting.
