Chandigarh | November 24, 2025 : Chandigarh doesn’t usually make national headlines — but when it does, the tremors reach Delhi, Punjab and Haryana all at once. Over the past few weeks, the city has found itself at the centre of a political storm after two sudden policy moves from the Centre, and two equally quick withdrawals. First came the controversial Panjab University restructuring attempt, then the proposal to bring Chandigarh under Article 240 through the shelved 131st Constitution Amendment Bill.
Both moves were reversed after intense backlash, but the fire hasn’t gone out. If anything, the arguments have only sharpened, exposing something deeper: Chandigarh is not just a Union Territory. It is memory, stake, possession, and above all — unresolved history.
For many residents, the past few days have felt unsettling, even if no final decision has been taken. Former BJP Chandigarh chief Sanjay Tandon believes the loudest reactions are coming from outside the city.
“Chandigarh belongs to the people who live here,” he said. “Before anyone else claims it, the opinion of residents must be heard. The city cannot be reduced to regional bullying.”
The Aam Aadmi Party took a sharply contrasting tone — more emotional, and more alarmed. The city’s party chief, Vijaypal Singh, described the proposed administrative shift as dangerous and disconnected.
“If officers with no ties to Punjab, Haryana or Chandigarh begin ruling from Delhi, the link between governance and people will break,” he warned. “Chandigarh is not a file or a map. It is an emotion.”
The Congress, meanwhile, focused on what they say is the real problem — uncertainty. Party chief HS Lucky said the confusion has exposed a long-standing vacuum in local decision-making.
“Years have passed and issues like colony ownership rights, Housing Board regularisation and freehold conversion are stuck,” he said. “Even the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council hardly meets. Any debate on Chandigarh’s future must be transparent, not secretive.”
For Punjab’s political parties, especially the Shiromani Akali Dal, the reaction was more furious than cautious. The Akalis called the proposal an attack on Punjab’s historical rights and warned of democratic agitation if Chandigarh’s administrative status changed without consent.
“Chandigarh was built on Punjab’s land,” the party said. “Any move that dilutes Punjab’s stake is unacceptable.”
But there are also voices pushing in a different direction. Lawyer and UT Advisory Council member Ajay Jagga argued that change is overdue. With the Adviser already functioning as a Chief Secretary–rank officer and security laws repealed years ago, he believes a full-time Lieutenant Governor could streamline governance.
“Chandigarh has evolved,” he said. “A full-time administrative head is practical and necessary.”
Caught between protests, speculation and political statements, the Centre finally stepped in on Sunday night. Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu — the only Punjabi face in the Union Council of Ministers — attempted to calm the narrative. He dismissed the panic as “fear being amplified without facts,” adding that nothing was being changed and “Article 240 means nothing in this context.”
Shortly after, the Union Home Ministry issued an official clarification. No decision had been taken. No Bill was coming this session. No change was happening — for now.
Yet, the timing of the two consecutive moves — Panjab University restructuring and the governance proposal — has triggered mistrust, especially in Punjab, where Chandigarh continues to be viewed as a symbol of cultural and constitutional belonging.
Across the city and the region, one sentiment now dominates: any decision affecting Chandigarh cannot be taken quietly. Not anymore.
Chandigarh may be small, but it sits at the crossroads of identity, power and memory. And whenever someone tries to redraw its lines — political or constitutional — the reaction is almost guaranteed.
Here, every change is a spark.
And every spark is a storm.