Haryana calls special assembly session days after Punjab's move seeking transfer of Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Apr 3 (PTI) The Haryana government has called a special session of the assembly on April 5, days after neighbouring Punjab passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of the Union Territory of Chandigarh to the AAP-ruled state.

Chandigarh is the common capital of Punjab and Haryana.

A decision to summon the special session was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers here on Sunday, Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma said.

Sharma, who was in Faridabad, said he joined the state cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, through online mode.

"A decision was taken to summon the special session of Haryana Assembly on April 5. Several issues will be taken up in the special session, which has been summoned after Punjab brought in the resolution," Sharma told PTI over phone.

Sources said that the Haryana government is likely to bring in a resolution in the state assembly against the Punjab's move on Chandigarh and take up other issues, including Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Meanwhile, Khattar, who was addressing a public gathering in Jind district's Safidon on Sunday, minced no words and warned Punjab, saying “respect for elder brother (Punjab) remains only till the time when he worries about younger brother's interests”.

Khattar gave the statement while referring to Punjab as Haryana's elder brother as the state was carved out of it in 1966.

The chief minister also raked up the SYL canal issue.

On the issue of Hindi speaking areas, Khattar said first Punjab should give over 400 villages which Haryana should get.

"I want to tell people of Punjab to be wary, as they are trapped in wrong hands. They should keep an eye on their activities, and the kind of language they (AAP government) have started to speak after coming to power. Such things are not in Haryana's, Punjab's or country's interests," he said, hitting out at AAP.

On Saturday, Khattar had said the AAP-led government in Punjab should first get the SYL canal built and transfer Punjab's Hindi-speaking areas to Haryana.

The Punjab government's move on April 1 to bring in the resolution in the state assembly came in the wake of the Centre's announcement that the central service rules will apply to the employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Besides the AAP, Punjab unit of the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had slammed the Centre's decision, claiming that it goes against the Punjab Reorganisation Act.

Haryana's Power Minister Ranjit Chautala, who is an Independent MLA, also condemned Punjab's move.

Chautala told PTI that there are many burning issues facing Punjab which they should deal with rather than bringing in resolutions "which have no meaning". In Rohtak, Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda termed the Punjab’s resolution a "political jumla".

The former Haryana chief minister said that no one will be allowed to harm the state’s interests.

"We are ready to make any sacrifice to protect Haryana's interests," Hooda, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

In Kurukshetra, JJP national president Ajay Singh Chautala said his party, which has an alliance with the BJP, will ensure that Haryana's rights are protected.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, while speaking to reporters, said, "…Punjab is yet to give Haryana its rightful share of space in the common assembly building for the two states (in Chandigarh)." While the provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 provides for 40 per cent of the space in the assembly building to Haryana, it, however, has got only 27 per cent of the space till now, the Haryana speaker said. Before the start of the special session on Tuesday at 11 am, a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the House has been summoned at 9.30 am, he said.

Haryana BJP president O P Dhankar said the new AAP dispensation in Punjab started with a "wrong gesture" towards its neighbouring state and asserted that "nobody can snatch Haryana's right".

The SYL canal issue has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana for several decades. Punjab has been demanding a reassessment of its share of the Ravi-Beas rivers water, while Haryana has been seeking completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre-feet of water.