The Union government on Sunday said the proposal to include Chandigarh in Article 240 of the Constitution is “still under consideration”. The government has also made it clear that it has “no intention” of introducing any bill to that effect in the upcoming winter session of parliament.
The statement came after an uproar — mostly from political parties in Punjab — after a bulletin from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha suggested that the Center introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 in the upcoming session that begins on December 1.
What is the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025?
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Act, 2025 aims to include the Union Territory of Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution.
The proposal aims to place Chandigarh in the same category as other Union Territories, which lack their own legislatures and have the power of the President to make regulations for them.
What would this mean for Chandigarh?
Currently, Chandigarh is a Union Territory (UT) and shares its capital with Punjab and Haryana. The Governor of Punjab has an additional charge as the Administrator of Chandigarh.
By bringing Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution, the government has learned to pave the way for the city to get an independent administrator like the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in many other UTs.
Currently, Article 240 covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry.
Article 240 of the Constitution empowers the President of India to make regulations for certain Union Territories.
Whenever the bill is passed, Chandigarh will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Punjab as it is now. The move may lead to the appointment of a lieutenant governor to run the city.
It would allow the President of India to make regulations for Chandigarh, as well as for other Union Territories, under Article 240 of the Constitution.
What did Punjabi political parties say?
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the Center and accused it of trying to “take” the Punjab capital.
“This amendment is against the interests of Punjab. We will not allow the conspiracy hatched by the central government against Punjab to succeed in any way. Chandigarh, built by demolishing villages in our Punjab, belongs exclusively to Punjab. We will not let our right go away. We will take any necessary steps for this,” he wrote in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also opposed the move.
“Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and any attempt to alienate it will have serious consequences,” he said.
Read also | ‘No final decision’: MHA on proposal to ‘simplify lawmaking’ in Chandigarh
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the bill was “against the interest of Punjab” and would mean the Union government would “go back on all commitments made to Punjab regarding the transfer of Chandigarh to the state”.
“Previous Congress governments in Delhi discriminated against Punjab and deprived us of our capital. This bill further seeks to remove whatever little administrative and political control Punjab has over Chandigarh and would permanently revoke Punjab’s claim to Chandigarh as its capital,” he wrote in a post on X.
Why did the center reconsider?
Political parties in Punjab saw the proposal as clearing the way for the appointment of an independent administrator or lieutenant governor (LG). Since 1984, the Governor of Punjab has been the Administrator of Chandigarh
This was mainly due to the political uproar over the proposed law from parties in Punjab.
In fact, a report in The Indian Express said that even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Punjab had expressed reservations about the proposal.
But before the Centre’s clarification, there were rumblings of discontent in the state unit. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, a report said.
Read also | ‘Identify the body’: Court asks Puran Kumar’s wife amid post-mortem standoff
“On Sunday, the BJP’s Punjab Central Committee held a virtual meeting and expressed its disagreement with the MHA, after which the ministry issued a clarification. We are fully committed to the interests of Punjab and we have conveyed our stand to the MHA. We are happy that they quickly clarified the confusion,” BJP general secretary Anil Sarin said in the Indian Express.
Why did Punjab BJP oppose this move?
The AAP government, the Punjab government and the Center have been at loggerheads over a number of issues such as the Punjab University dispute, deployment of central paramilitary forces in projects managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and flood relief.
This amendment is against the interests of Punjab. We will not allow the conspiracy hatched by the central government against Punjab to succeed in any way.
The fresh political tussle over the proposed bill comes at a time when the BJP is trying hard to make inroads in the state and is poised to contest the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections as an independent next month.
