The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on Tuesday, gave an ultimatum to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to withdraw his statement demanding land in Chandigarh from the Union government to construct state’s own Assembly and High Court buildings.
At a meeting of the party committee presided over by SAD president, the SAD alleged that the CM had taken “an anti-Punjab stance” and the party will launch an agitation if CM does not withdraw his statement. They also accused Mann of acting at the instructions of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Punjab and Haryana currently have separate assemblies in a building. Both the states currently have a common High Court complex in Chandigarh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Saturday, announced land for setting up an additional Haryana assembly building in Chandigarh after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made a demand for the same for building a separate state Assembly in Chandigarh during a meeting in Jaipur. Following this, Mann made a similar demand for land for Punjab in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the SAD demanded the CM’s explanation on his stance on all issues of Punjab including the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), implementation of Central pay scale for UT employees and attempt to convert Panjab University into a central University by July 20.

“If this is not done, a three member committee which includes Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sikander Singh Maluka, would coordinate a joint agitation with other political parties,” the SAD said.
Meanwhile, the core committee also decided to hold protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 19 and at the residence of Delhi chief minister on July 20.

The committee said Home minister Amit Shah could not take any decision on allotting land to Haryana in Chandigarh without taking the stakeholders into confidence.
Terming the decision as illegal, the committee noted that the Union minister did not have any authority to allot land to Haryana in the Union Territory. “It also seems that the Centre, Haryana CM ML Khattar and Punjab CM Mann are acting in conjunction on this issue”.