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When Haryana legislators took pot-shots at Punjab CM Maan
“Punjab has a comedian for a chief minister
“Punjab has a comedian for a chief minister.” “Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Maan is a mask of Arvind Kejriwal.” “Let’s give Punjab a befitting reply.” “Punjab’s resolution on Chandigarh is unconstitutional and a well-thought out ploy.” “Punjab should stop behaving like a big brother!”
This is how the legislators of Haryana, cutting across party lines, joined hands on Tuesday and launched one salvo after the other against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of Punjab.
Not only did the MLAs take pot-shots at comedian-turned-popular politician Bhagwant Maan, the House also witnessed a rare bonhomie as the members vowed to defend the “vital interests” of the people of Haryana.
What united Haryana MLAs was a resolution the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had passed, seeking transfer of Chandigarh to the border state. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar set the ball rolling when he moved an official resolution to counter the Punjab resolution.
And during the next 210 minutes, it was Punjab, Maan, AAP, and the SYL canal issue that echoed in the House.
According to health minister Anil Vij, Punjab’s resolution is “politically motivated and mischievous attempt to divert people’s attention from the pre-election promises made to grab power”. He advised the House to understand the designs of the Punjab government.
“Chaar din ki party hai. Still in infancy and they are talking of taking over Chandigarh,” Vij said referring to the AAP government in Punjab while leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “Punjab’s role only as an elder brother is acceptable. However, if it tries to play the big brother, that‘s unacceptable”.
“Punjab’s action seeking transfer of Chandigarh will only spoil relations between the two states,” Hooda said, asking why should the administrator of Chandigarh be from Punjab?
“When I was chief minister, I wrote to the Centre that the administrator of Chandigarh should either be appointed on rotation basis from Punjab and Haryana or there should be an independent administrator,” Hooda said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kanwar Pal wanted to ask Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann whether there was any demand from the people of Punjab to get Chandigarh transferred. “This is ploy to divert attention from the big pre-poll promises made by AAP,” he said.
Congress leader Kiran Choudhary demanded: “Punjab ko muh tod jawab dena padega. (Must give Punjab a befitting reply.)”
Choudhary said merely passing a resolution won’t help. “We have to be aggressive. We need to assert on securing our rights pertaining to our share in the civil secretariat, Vidhan Sabha and the Punjab and Haryana high court,” she said.
However, Indian National Lok Dal MLA Abhay Chautala blamed Haryana chief minister Khattar and ex-CM Hooda for not making efforts to get the SYL canal constructed.
First-time independent MLA Balraj Kundu termed Punjab’s resolution “a mere political agenda”. He accused the Punjab government of playing with the sentiments of people.
Congress leader BB?Batra said Punjab is also a successor state and has no special claim over Chandigarh, while Congress legislator and former minister Geeta Bhukkal termed the Punjab resolution on Chandigarh “unconstitutional, illegal and misleading”.
Agriculture minister JP Dalal wanted contempt of court proceedings to be initiated against all those in Punjab who have violated court orders regarding the SYL Canal with impunity.
Much before Khattar thanked the House for unanimously supporting the resolution, Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi had already lobbed in what was the sharpest attack thus far against Maan when he referred to Maan’s ‘certain habits’ and quipped: “Punjab has a comedian for a chief minister.”
