Haryana CM calls for resolving Chandigarh issue by 'sitting together'

Karnal (Haryana): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that the Chandigarh issue is not something that can be "passed unilaterally in the Assembly" adding that it should be resolved by "sitting together". Taking a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab which recently passed a resolution reiterating the state's claim on Chandigarh, Khattar said that "there must be a hidden agenda behind this".

"Chandigarh issue should be resolved by sitting together, it's not something that can be passed unilaterally in Assembly. They've (AAP) not been in power for 4 days and are raising these controversial issues; there must be a hidden agenda behind this," Khattar said while speaking to the reporters here. The Chief Minister stressed that Chandigarh will always be the capital of both Haryana and Punjab and said that the public will "see their (AAP's) agenda."

"The Punjab public will see their agenda. We will not let it reach its goal. Chandigarh was, is, and will be the capital of Haryana and Punjab," he said. Row over Chandigarh came to the fore after the Punjab Assembly on Friday passed a resolution reiterating the state's claim on Chandigarh. The move was made after the decision of the Central Government to implement Central Service Rules on Chandigarh employees. Congress marked its entry into the row as it held a meeting of the Legislature Party at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi on Monday in which 24 MLAs were present.

"Today, in the CLP meeting, we discussed the resolution passed in Punjab Assembly regarding Chandigarh. We will oppose this resolution strongly because Chandigarh belongs to Haryana," Hooda said after the meeting. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann last week moved a resolution in the assembly seeking the transfer of Chandigarh to the state.

ANI