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Centre Shelves Chandigarh Article 240 Plan After Punjab Backlash

A parliamentary bulletin listing a proposed amendment triggered rare unity in Punjab.

Overview

  • The Centre clarified it will not introduce a bill in the next parliamentary session to place Chandigarh under Article 240.
  • The listed proposal, described as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025, would have enabled direct central control and a separate Lieutenant Governor for the city.
  • Parties across Punjab, including AAP, Congress, SAD and sections of the state BJP, publicly opposed the move as an attempt to take Chandigarh from the state.
  • SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said Chandigarh is Punjab’s inalienable right and demanded its transfer to the state, while flagging risks to Panjab University governance and BBMB control.
  • The episode reopened long-standing grievances over Chandigarh’s unsettled status, and the government signalled that any future steps would follow consultations with stakeholders.