Row after Amit Shah allots land for Haryana assembly

Both states have been staking a claim to the Union territory.

Union home minister Amit Shah’s decision to allocate land for construction of an additional Haryana Vidhan Sabha complex in Chandigarh has triggered protests from politicians in the neighbouring state of Punjab.

Union home minister Amit Shah.

Both states have been staking a claim to the Union territory.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said, “I appeal to the Centre to allot land in Chandigarh for our Punjab to form its own Vidhan Sabha on the pattern of Haryana...” Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, too, said: “We strongly condemn the partisan decision of BJP to allocate land for Vidhan Sabha for Hry in Chandigarh which belongs to Punjab.”

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, however, hailed the move. “There is not enough space available in the existing building to even accommodate these 90 MLAs.