Chandigarh to get Administrator; Punjab Guv to be divested of charge? MHA denies SAD claim

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday made it clear that there is no proposal under its consideration to divest the Punjab governor of responsibility as the administrator of Chandigarh. The MHA also denied Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal's claim that he raised the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and termed the former's apprehension with regard to the Chandigarh administrator "unfounded".

MHA on appointing exclusive Chandigarh administrator

The Ministry of Home Affairs on its Twitter handle clarified in a series of statements and wrote, "The apprehension expressed in Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal’s tweet that he met and urged the Union Home Minister to review the Union Government’s decision to appoint a full-fledged Administrator for Chandigarh by divesting the Governor of Punjab of this charge, is unfounded."

"It is clarified that the Union Government has not taken any decision of divesting Punjab Governor of this responsibility of Chandigarh Administrator; and, neither is any such proposal under contemplation," added the MHA. 

"It is also clarified that Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal has not raised this issue with the Union Home Minister," the MHA further stated. 

Sukhbir Singh Badal's claims on full-fledged administrator for Chandigarh

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Badal said he had requested Shah to review the Union government's decision to appoint a full-fledged administrator for Chandigarh by divesting the Punjab governor of the charge.

During his meeting with the home minister on Wednesday, the Akali leader termed this another attempt to "dilute" Punjab's claim to its capital city. See here Sukhbir Singh Badal's tweet- 

Chandigarh Congress Leader Pardeep Chhabra Joins AAP

Meanwhile, former Chandigarh Congress leader Pardeep Chhabra on Friday joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in New Delhi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at Chhabra's introduction to other party members in the national capital. Chhabra, who had been in disagreement with his ex- party's unit president and other leaders of the camp and later, resigned from the party membership on August 6. Notably, Chhabra's resignation came a day after Congress had served him a notice over his anti-party activities.  

(Image Credits: PTI)