Service rules row gets murkier; Sodhi slams Mann, says keep Chandigarh off politics

The former minister said the CM is trying to hide his failures after union home minister Amit Shah announced the implementation of central service rules from April 1, which will benefit more than 16,000 UT employees.

With the change in Chandigarh administration service rules becoming a flashpoint between the AAP and the centre, former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi on Tuesday advised Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to focus on Punjab, and stop dragging the UT into politics.

BJP leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi advised Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to focus on Punjab. (HT File)

He questioned why is the CM upset when the central government is providing benefits to the employees and people of the union territory of Chandigarh, which is an integral part of India, and not only Punjab.

Slamming Mann, the former minister said the former is trying to hide his failures after union home minister Amit Shah announced the implementation of central service rules from April 1, which will benefit more than 16,000 UT employees.

Mann is trying to divert the attention of the people from his failures by indulging in petty politics.

Taking a dig at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, he said, “Instead of pointing out faults, Kejriwal should list his party’s achievements in Chandigarh and then talk of politics. The AAP has come to power by showing false dreams to the people. Mann should clarify if it was him or Channi who actually regularised contractual employees. The CM should tell everybody whether 72,000 contractual employees of Punjab have been regularised or not.”