Nov 30, 2025 Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the move “quite worrying" and said, “Chandigarh belongs to Punjab.

 Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the move “quite worrying" and said, “Chandigarh belongs to Punjab. Any attempt to change its status will be met with unprecedented resistance.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal argued that the Bill was “against the interest of Punjab" and said it “would amount to the GOI going back on all commitments made to Punjab regarding the transfer of Chandigarh to the state." He added, “This Bill further seeks to remove whatever little administrative and political control Punjab has over Chandigarh and would permanently extinguish Punjab’s claim to Chandigarh as its capital city." *Why Chandigarh Holds Such Deep Significance For Punjab* Chandigarh’s importance to Punjab traces back to the years after Partition, when the state lost Lahore, its historic capital, to Pakistan. Shimla served as a temporary capital until March 1948, when the Centre and the Punjab government selected land at the foothills of the Himalayas for a new city. 22 villages in Kharar were acquired for the project. The master plan was prepared by architect Le Corbusier, and Chandigarh formally became Punjab’s capital on 21 September 1953. President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the capital shortly afterwards, on 7 October 1953. The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, divided the state and created Haryana. Chandigarh, located on the border, became the shared capital of both states and was designated a Union Territory. Properties were divided in a 60:40 ratio, and Haryana was given temporary accommodation in Punjab’s secretariat and Assembly, along with financial support to build its own capital. The arrangement was meant to be short-term, but Haryana has not created a new capital in the decades since. On 29 January 1970, the Centre announced that “the capital project area of Chandigarh should, as a whole, go to Punjab." That decision did not take effect, and the shared-capital arrangement has continued. Punjab leaders frequently cite this history to argue that the state’s claim remains unresolved. *Why the Issue Has Become Contentious Again?* The bulletin’s mention of the proposed amendment was enough to trigger political pushback across Punjab because any change in Chandigarh’s administrative framework is closely tied to the state’s historical experience and long-standing expectations. For Punjab’s leadership, even the suggestion of altering the arrangement, especially one that could introduce an independent administrator, raises concerns about weakening its position in a city it has consistently maintained belongs to it. The Centre has now made it clear that it will not introduce any Bill in the upcoming Winter Session and that no decision will be taken without extensive consultations.2/2