Punjab has 1st right over Chandigarh, says Badal

The war of words over Chandigarh continued with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday saying his Haryana counterpart Bhupinder Singh Hooda must realise that Punjab, being the parent state, has the first and legitimate right over the city.

Talking to the reporters, the chief minister said, before unnecessarily raking up the issue just to score brownie points and demonstrating one-upmanship, Hooda must remember that Haryana had been carved out from Punjab after reorganisation on November 1, 1966 and there was hardly any substance in his claim over Chandigarh. Hooda should desist from making such hollow statements just to gain cheap popularity, he said stressing, "Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab."

When asked about Food Security Ordinance, he said it was an irony of fate that the Centre had never made any effort to store grains.

The Centre was deliberately lingering on proposals of extending scientific storage facilities to Punjab.

Despite the issue being taken up by him with the government, he alleged.

Replying to another question on alleged misuse of funds in Punjab Technical University, Badal said law would take its own course in this matter.