If I was responsible, then hand over Chd to Pb govt: Mann to Centre

Sangrur: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday blamed the Centre for the grenade blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, saying a Union Territory under its control cannot be a ground for political blame-shifting. He added that if he is being held responsible for the incident, the Centre should hand over Chandigarh to the Punjab govt. Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of dedicating a Community Health Center at Cheema village, the CM said, "Though Chandigarh is administered by the Punjab governor, the BJP is quick to blame me for everything that happens in the Union Territory — be it the farmers' agitation, protests at Panjab University, or any other issue.He said, "The BJP should refrain from baseless and irrelevant statements on this issue as the area is under the jurisdiction of the administrator of the UT. If Punjab demands Chandigarh, it is labelled separatist; yet the Centre shirks its responsibility to maintain law and order there."Slams HP's entry tax decisionMann also criticised the Congress-led govt in Himachal Pradesh for imposing an entry tax, and contrasted it with the AAP govt's measures to reduce the financial burden on people. He said, "On one hand, the AAP govt is abolishing the toll tax and giving reprieve to the common man, on the other hand, these people are levying undue taxes on people. This move is completely unwarranted and undesirable, and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. It will be opposed tooth and nail."On farmers' issues, the CM said: "I will flag the genuine demands of the arhtiyas with the Union govt. These issues have been repeatedly raised with the Centre and will again be put up before the govt. The AAP is firmly committed to ensuring smooth and hassle-free procurement of wheat, benefiting the farmers." MSID:: 129979181 413 |