SAD Ropar unit’s honour to its chief: Sukhbir is now new ‘Saviour of Waters’

SAD honoured CM Parkash Singh Badal with the title of Kissana da Masiha (Messiah of Farmers). SAD spokesperson and cabinet minister Daljit Singh Cheema said the titles were given by SAD’s Ropar unit.

The Congress, meanwhile, hit back at the SAD, saying it was Amarinder who remains worthy of the title of ‘Saviour of Waters’.

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“The SYL canal was given a go-ahead in 1978 when the Akalis were in power in Punjab. I procured Devi Lal’s speech made in Haryana Vidhan Sabha in March 1978. It is clear that the formal progress on canal started in 1978. The SAD leadership is the one who tried to give away water. The titles were bestowed in the presence of BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal. It is the same party at the Centre that wants to take away Punjab waters. This is all political drama,” said Congress leader and Dera Baba Nanak legislator Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

In the budget session of Punjab Assembly that concluded Tuesday, CM Badal had placed papers claiming that the SYL canal issue had begun as early as 1976.
“Even if it is believed that the SYL canal deliberations started in 1976, why did Akalis not take a stand against its construction when they came to power? The construction of the canal also started in Akali rule,” Randhawa said. “The real saviour of Punjab waters is Capt Amarinder Singh in whose tenure as Chief Minister the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 was passed. And if Akalis thought, more needed to be done, what were they doing in all these nine years of their rule,” said Randhawa.

CM Badal, in his address at Anandpur Sahib, lashed out at the Congress on the SYL issue.

Referring to the 2004 Act, Badal said, “All the agreements that were terminated through this Act were done by the Congress governments. Thus, the Act was a mere admission of guilt by the Congress government headed by Amarinder Singh.”

Cheema, when asked that why Sukhbir was chosen over CM Badal for the title of ‘Saviour of Waters, said, “Every one knows the role played by CM for safeguarding the interests of Punjab. That he played a huge role to save Punjab waters is also not a secret.”