Chandigarh: The General House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation spiraled into disorder on Tuesday after opposition councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress tore pages from the minutes of the previous session, triggering a dramatic confrontation on the House floor.
As tensions flared, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla ordered the removal of Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta, and AAP councillor Prem Lata from the proceedings. The disruption forced the Mayor to briefly adjourn the meeting for ten minutes.
In a surprising turn during the Mayor’s absence, Bunty and several other opposition councillors staged an impromptu meeting in the Well of the House. Assuming the symbolic role of Mayor, Bunty launched a scathing critique of the ruling BJP and accused the current administration of misgovernance and employee mistreatment.
Earlier in the day, BJP councillors lauded Mayor Babla for receiving a women’s empowerment award during her recent visit to Moscow. However, their praise was drowned out by opposition slogans accusing the administration of exploiting Municipal Corporation staff. Mayor Babla, responding to the criticism, called the protest “shameful” and said the award symbolized collective pride for all city residents, especially its women.
The session also saw sharp exchanges over the recent suspension of two sanitation workers following an event attended by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi demanded accountability from senior officials, arguing that punishing only junior staff was unfair. He alleged the incident involving garbage mismanagement was directed by higher-ups, yet only low-ranking workers were penalized.
Councillor Saurabh Joshi added to the heated atmosphere by questioning the financial transparency of the city’s horticulture waste projects, particularly the functioning of the Horticulture Waste Management Plant and over 100 green belt waste pits. He demanded an independent inquiry and warned of staging a protest if his call for a full report by next month’s House meeting was ignored.
“This concerns public funds and transparency,” Joshi stated. “If no action is taken, I will have no choice but to protest outside the MC office.”
As tempers continue to simmer within the civic body, today’s events have further exposed the deep divisions within the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, raising questions about governance and accountability at the local level.
