The Union Home Ministry on Saturday issued an official clarification amid growing political protests in Punjab over rumors that the Central government is considering bringing the Union Territory of Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution.
In an official post shared by PIB on behalf of the Home Ministry on ‘X’, the government said that the proposal to simplify the central law making process for Chandigarh is only ‘under consideration’ and no final decision has been taken yet.
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The ministry stressed that the proposal is not intended to change the existing governance of Chandigarh or affect its traditional relations with Punjab or Haryana.
“This proposal specifically relates to facilitating the process of making laws for the Union Territory by the Central Government and is still under consideration at the highest levels of the Central Government,” the statement said.
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According to an earlier parliamentary bulletin, the proposal sought to bring Chandigarh into the same category as other union territories without an assembly such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Puducherry (at the time its assembly is dissolved).
The move sparked strong protests across Punjab, with various political parties accusing the central government of trying to undermine Punjab’s long-standing claim to Chandigarh.