Coming down heavily on the Central Government for “systematically stripping off” Punjab from its claim over Chandigarh and the Bhakra Beas Management Board, senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar on Friday asked all the political parties to “shed political differences” and join hands for the sake of Punjab.

Jakhar pointed out that instead of the officers from Punjab and Haryana’s civil services (PCS and HCS), three officers of the DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services) cadre have been posted in the UT Administration of Chandigarh for the first time.

Terming it as a violation of the BBMB rules, Jakhar asked the leaders of all the parties to come together and raise their voices against it. He went on to alleged that Punjab's right over Chandigarh was being weakened by such actions.

Taking to Twitter to raise the issue, Jakhar appealed to the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to “join hands” for the rights of Punjab by rising above politics as “elections are now over”.

“Instead of PCS/HCS, 3 DANICS officers are posted in Chandigarh administration for the first time... BBMB rules are tweaked to the detriment of Punjab....Alarming developments in last few day. Punjab being systematically stripped off its claim over Chandigarh and say in BBMB,” he tweeted.

“I appeal to @capt_amarinder, @sukhdevdhindsa_, @BhagwantMaan, @officeofssbadal, @sherryontop & @CHARANJITCHANNI, with elections over, to shed political differences & join hands for sake of Punjab against an arrogant and domineering centre determined to trample on Punjab’s rights,” he said in a related tweet.

Notably, three officers from DANICS cadre — D Karthikeyan, Akhil Kumar, and Amit Kumar — have been transferred from Delhi to Chandigarh. Before this, DANICS officers have never been deployed in Chandigarh Administration. Till now, only PCS and HCS officers have been appointed. Only the IAS officers, promoted from DANICS cadre, have earlier been posted in Chandigarh.