‘Chandigarh integral part of Punjab’: State BJP makes its stand clear amid raging row

Amid a raging row over the Centre’s proposal to bring the Union territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240, the Punjab BJP on Sunday made its stand clear, saying that the capital city is an integral part of the state.

In a post on X, BJP Punjab president Sunil Jakhar said the party stands firmly with the interests of the state and that the “confusion” regarding Chandigarh will be resolved through discussion with the Centre.

"Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab, and the Punjab BJP stands firmly with the interests of the state, whether it is the issue of Chandigarh or the waters of Punjab. Whatever confusion has arisen regarding Chandigarh will be resolved by discussing it with the government. As a Punjabi myself, I assure you that for us, Punjab always comes first," Jakhar said.

Earlier, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had asked BJP leaders from the state to clarify their position on the matter.

"Whether you are with Punjab or against Punjab will be determined by the position you take today,” he had said.

The political row erupted after the Narendra Modi government proposed to bring Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240, which grants powers to the president to make regulations for the effective governance of the Union territory.

According to a Parliament bulletin, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 was slated to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1, 2025. 

However, as the controversy raged, the home ministry issued a clarification on Sunday, saying no final decision has been taken yet and that the government has no intention of presenting any bill to this effect in the winter session.