A Simple Letter to Amit Shah Could Solve a Massive Problem for Punjab's Gun Owners:

There's a peculiar and frustrating situation that many people from Punjab who hold a legal arms license face, and it all revolves around their own capital city, Chandigarh.

Here's the problem in a nutshell: an arms license issued in Punjab is valid almost everywhere across India, but with one glaring exception Chandigarh. This creates a really awkward and difficult situation for countless people.

Recognizing this, the Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, has taken the matter to the very top. He has written a formal letter to the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, asking for a simple, common-sense change.

In his letter, the Speaker lays out the problem very clearly. Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. All the main government offices for Punjab, including the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Secretariat, are located there. This means that every single day, MLAs, government officials, and regular citizens from across Punjab travel to Chandigarh for work and other official business.

For those who have a license to carry a firearm for personal safety, this rule puts them in a tough spot. They can legally carry their weapon throughout their home state, but the moment they cross into their own capital city, they are technically breaking the law.

The Speaker highlighted that this is more than just an annoyance; it’s a "major inconvenience." It forces people to either leave their licensed weapon behind, potentially compromising their security, or risk facing legal issues in Chandigarh.

The solution he’s proposing is straightforward. He has asked the Home Minister to simply include Chandigarh within the jurisdiction of arms licenses that are issued in Punjab. It’s not about issuing new licenses, but about making the existing, legally-vetted ones practical for the people who need to travel to the state's own administrative hub.

Now, the ball is in the central government's court to address this long-standing issue that affects thousands of people on a daily basis.