Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Deputy CM of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday took on the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for issuing shockingly anti Punjab statements compromising the state's inalienable right on Chandigarh and on other areas of injustice done to the people of the state..
Referring to Bhagwant Mann's demand for a space in Chandigarh for Punjab to build its separate Vidhan Sabha, Badal said, "I am shocked that someone who calls himself the Chief Minister of Punjab can issue statements to give up Punjab's widely acknowledged and inalienable right on its Capital, Chandigarh. The entire city belongs to Punjab and the Punjab CM is begging for a little space on our own land for Vidhan Sabha building. How can a Chief Minister of Punjab speak the language of Haryana on allotting land to Haryana? Is Bhagwant Mann really so unaware of the history of his own state seeped in struggle and martyrdom by our people for securing justice in Chandigarh and other areas where Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular have been brazenly discriminated against? I am surprised that he calls himself the CM of Punjab even after surrendering the claim of his own state on Chandigarh, forgetting the sentiments and countless sacrifices by our people on one of the most critical and emotional issues."
Badal said that it seemed that a deep conspiracy was at work to rob Punjab of its legitimate rights and claims on crucial issues including Chandigarh, "and the Punjab CM has become a willing tool in this conspiracy. What a coincidence that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann are issuing identical statements on Chandigarh at the same time! Would you blame Punjabis for seeing an anti Punjab conspiracy in these statements?"
Reacting strongly to a statement by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that the center would allot separate land in Chandigarh to Haryana for building its own Vidhan Sabha premises, Badal said