PM Narendra Modi 'robbing' Punjab of its rights, says Bhagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of robbing the state of its rights amid a political row over Union Home Minister Amit Shahs recent announcement that central service rules will apply to employees of ChandigarhMann said this while winding up the discussion during the oneday special Assembly session in which a resolution seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab was passedMann whose Aam Aadmi Party AAP had stormed to power in the justconcluded state Assembly poll said 80 per cent of the sacrifices were made by people from Punjab in getting India freed And the prime minister of free India now is robbing the rights of Punjab he said in the HouseSharing his past experience as a parliamentarian Mann exhorted all MPs and MLAs from the state to exhibit the same spirit of unity and bonhomie as demonstrated by leaders of southern states to safeguard the rights of their states while rising above vested interests and petty personal considerationsHe said MPs of states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh come together for raising their issues in ParliamentI often used to feel why we do not come together I used to ask them but they said their party lines are different said MannLashing out at the BJPled Centre Mann said its leadership indulges in vendetta politics in general and especially in states like Punjab Delhi West Bengal where its leadership miserably failed to get peoples mandate for the formation of its governmentHe asked the Centre whether the states where the BJP was not in power were not part of the countryHe said in Delhi the permission of the Lieutenant Governor is necessary for any workMann said Punjab had demanded extra electricity from the central pool but it was denied however it was given to HaryanaOn the other hand the PM says sabka saath sabka vikas Where is our saath Neither you take our saath nor give the same to us said MannHe recalled that Punjab was asked to pay Rs 750 crore by the Centre for sending the military following the terror attack at the Pathankot airbase in 2016Mann said he along with the then MP Sadhu Singh asked the defence minister whether the military was provided to Punjab on rent Mann said he then had asked Dont you consider Punjab as a part of the countryThereafter the sum of Rs 750 crore was waived said MannTargeting the BJP for questioning the intention of the resolution Mann said the BJP should not question their intention and took a jibe at BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma saying they get their speech straight from Nagpur a reference to the headquarter of the RSSI have heard a lot about Nagpuri santre oranges from Nagpur but I heard Nagpuri bhashan address for the first time They get their address straight from Nagpur said Mann while taking a jibe at the BJPYou live in Punjab you eat Punjabs food and drink Punjabs water then you say no no he said in an apparent dig at Ashwani Sharma for not supporting the resolutionWithout taking the name of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi Mann said those who used to say that it was different to run a stage or a state are now not visible anywhereThe resolution was passed by the House in the absence of the two BJP MLAs who had staged a walkoutExcept the BJP whose state unit chief Ashwani Sharma said he doubts the intent behind the resolution members of all political parties supported the moveThe Centre has notified the rules under which the retirement age has been increased from 58 to 60 years while child care leave has been increased from one year to two yearsUntil now Punjab service rules applied to employees of Chandigarh which was made a UT and joint capital of Punjab and Haryana more than five decades agoHaryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever