Congress, AAP to boycott oath-taking ceremony of Chandigarh MC’s nominated councillors

Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have decided to boycott the oath-taking ceremony of nine nominated councillors scheduled on Friday at the municipal corporation office in Sector 17

Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have decided to boycott the oath-taking ceremony of nine nominated councillors scheduled on Friday at the municipal corporation office in Sector 17.

Congress and AAP had earlier criticised Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit over the nominated councillors’ appointment as all nine are strongly affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Six of them are BJP office-bearers. (HT File)

Both parties had earlier criticised UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit over the nominated councillors’ appointment as all nine are strongly affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Six of them are BJP office-bearers.

In a meeting presided over by Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky at Congress Bhawan in Sector 35, itwas unanimously resolvedthat all councillors belonging to the party will completely boycott the oath-taking ceremony of the nominated councillors.

Lucky said the decision of boycott had been taken to protest against the arbitrary and untenable decision of Purohit that flouts provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act as applicable to Chandigarh. Meanwhile, AAP’s Chandigarh co-in-charge Pardeep Chhabra and president Prem Garg termed the nomination of only BJP workers as unfortunate, unethical, illegal and murder of democracy.

AAP councillors alleged that the very purpose of nominated councillors was to select people of eminence who were experts in various fields like medicine, engineering and environment, so that they bring their expertise to the House.