Chandigarh MC’s first live streamed House meet | Councillors come to blows as city watches
It all started when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Gurbax Rawat from ward 27 (representing Sectors 39 and 40) alleged that she was not invited for projects being inaugurated in her area by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.
It was supposed to be a ‘first day, first show’ moment for residents, where they could see from the comfort of their homes what their elected representatives in the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) were doing for their welfare. But what they witnessed instead was two councillors nearly coming to blows during the city’s first-ever live-streamed MC House meeting on Monday.
It all started when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Gurbax Rawat from ward 27 (representing Sectors 39 and 40) alleged that she was not invited for projects being inaugurated in her area by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari. Showing plaques, where her name was missing, Rawat said, “As a councillor for the last 15 years, I have inaugurated so many poles in my area. I feel aghast that the MP inaugurates one pole, writes his name on the plaque and doesn’t even care to invite the area councillor. This shows the low mentality and scant regard towards the elected representatives.”
She refused to sit down until the issue was resolved and other BJP councillors joined in with similar views.
To this, Congress councillor from ward 13 (Sector 11, 12 14 and 25) Sachin Galav responded by stating that even Congress councillors used to be left out from inaugural events when BJP’s Kirron Kher was the MP from 2014 to 2024.
In a pointed attack at Rawat, Galav said, “You are not getting invited because people have forgotten you as you have not been seen anywhere for the last 15 years. You also changed from the MP’s party (Congress), from where you were elected, to join the BJP.” Rawat had quit the Congress in January this year to join the BJP.
The heated exchanges continued for over an hour but reached a crescendo when BJP councillor from ward 12, Saurabh Joshi, removed the nameplate of MP Tewari, placed in front of his vacant seat, and said the nameplate was unnecessary since Tewari does not attend house meetings. “When the city’s own Member of Parliament remains outside Chandigarh for most of the week, how can Congress councillors dare to tarnish the image of councillor Gurbax Rawat?” said Joshi.
Galav rushed to retrieve the nameplate and nearly came to blows with Joshi which prompted other councillors to intervene and separate the two.
At this point, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla was heard yelling on mic, “Shame on you, the entire city is watching us today.”
