MAYOR BABLA SLAMS CONGRESS-AAP FOR BOYCOTTING KEY DEVELOPMENT MEETING; CALLS THEIR ABSENCE A ‘DERELICTION OF DUTY

The Voice of Chandigarh:

Harpreet Kaur Babla, Mayor of Chandigarh, strongly condemned the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors for their brazen display of political double standards and their utter disregard for the city’s development, evidenced by their deliberate boycott of a crucial ward-wise review meeting with key MC officials.

The Mayor’s office had convened a vital meeting with Municipal Corporation (MC) officials to review and accelerate development works—including essential road repairs, drainage, Parks, green belts and sanitation projects etc.—for the wards represented by the opposition councillors. This meeting was called on similar lines to the one held recently for BJP councillors and officials, ensuring inclusive governance and rigorous oversight for projects funded under the dedicated ward-wise allotment of 25-50 Lakhs.

The Double Standards Unmasked

The Mayor expressed profound disappointment over the outcome of today’s meeting:

• Only ONE Congress councillor attended the scheduled development review meeting.
  The entire contingent of AAP councillors chose to boycott the meeting, as did the majority of their Congress allies.
• ⁠The opposition in the last house meeting had demanded the status of the ward development and mayor had confirmed that a meeting with officials along with councillors will be called soon to expedite works ward-wise.

“The sheer hypocrisy of the Congress-AAP alliance is astounding and can no longer be ignored,” stated Mayor Babla. “When we held a meeting for our BJP councillors and officials, the attendance was complete and the discussions were productive, focusing on accelerating ground realities. Yet, when the opportunity was extended to the opposition to review development in their own wards, pertinent to the residents who elected them, they shamelessly boycotted it.”

A Clear Disinterest in Citizen Welfare

This action demonstrates a severe and worrying lack of commitment from the opposition towards the welfare of their ward residents.

“This is not merely a political boycott; it is a direct dereliction of duty and a grave insult to the voters of Chandigarh. The opposition councillors have shown how disinterested and carefree they are about the development projects in their own wards. They chose cheap theatrics over crucial development review with officials who are there to provide solutions.”

The Mayor highlighted a consistent pattern of anti-development behaviour by the opposition:

1. They Boycott Development Review: When called for a critical meeting to ensure timely execution and quality of ward-level projects, they stay away.
2. They Resign from Committees: When an all-party committee was constituted to deliberate on vital development matters, opposition councillors resigned, refusing to engage constructively.

“The level they are willing to stoop to for cheap politics is clear. I want to tell the residents of their wards: your councillors should be held accountable and answerable for their no-serious attitude in missing such a crucial meeting,” Mayor Babla asserted.

Development Will Always Supersede Cheap Politics

The Mayor concluded by drawing a parallel to the political climate: “Today’s Bihar election results are a resounding testimony that positive, development-focused politics will always supersede cheap theatrics and politics of obstruction. While we are committed to working tirelessly for Chandigarh’s progress, the opposition remains stuck in a cycle of negativity and destructive politics.”

The Municipal Corporation remains resolute in its mission to ensure timely, transparent, and quality development across all wards of Chandigarh, irrespective of political affiliation. We will continue to prioritise the needs of our citizens above all else.