Chandigarh, March 8 -- With begging bowls in their hands, Congress councillors and leaders, led by party's Chandigarh unit's president HS Lucky, held a protest outside the municipal corporation (MC) on Friday, imploring the central government and the Chandigarh administration for funds.

Lucky strongly criticised the Modi-led central government and the Chandigarh administration, stating that they had forced MC into this humiliating position. "Despite the presence of a 'triple-engine government'-with the BJP ruling at the Centre, in the administration and the Mayor's office-the Chandigarh MC is in a state of financial ruin," he remarked.

He accused the BJP government at the Centre of withholding Rs.1,704 crore owed to the corporation unde...