Mann invoking Bhai Kanhaiya to whitewash surrender of Punjab’s waters: Opp

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, hit out Mann, accusing him of failing to defend the state’s legitimate rights over its waters.

“He invoked Bhai Kanhaiya Ji to morally whitewash the surrender of Punjab’s water. This isn’t compassion—it’s political betrayal. Once again, he failed miserably to defend Punjab’s riparian rights. Not a word on constitutional protections. Not a word on international riparian law. And suddenly, his favourite line—“Punjab kol ik boond pani vi nahi”—vanished into thin air,” Bajwa asserted.

He emphasized that Punjab is an over-exploited, environmentally fragile state with no surplus water to share.

“The facts are clear, the law is clear, and Punjab’s position is clear. What is unclear is why the chief minister chose optics over obligation and Haryana’s narrative over Punjab’s survival,” Bajwa said in a statement.

“This is not ignorance; this is willful abdication. This is not incompetence, this is backstabbing. When the lifeline of Punjab was at stake, the chief minister chose symbolism instead of substance,” he added.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal too accused Mann of twisting reference to Bhai Kanhaiya to justify handing over Punjab’s river waters to other states, especially Haryana, and said it is “outrageous and sacrilegious”.

“It is one thing to offer water to the dying as an act of charity and compassion as Bhai Kanhaiya ji did, and quite another to surrender Punjab’s lifeline, the river waters,” said Badal in a post on X.

He demanded from CM Mann to apologise for allegedly distorting Sikh history. “This is about Punjab’s riparian rights, not charity. Shiromani Akali Dal will never allow this betrayal. For his information, Parkash Singh Badal’s government permanently settled the SYL issue by denotifying the canal and returning the land to owners and farmers,” he added.

Former minister and Congress MLA Pargat Singh said Mann’s remarks have wounded the collective conscience of the Sikh community. “This trivialization of a saint whose wartime compassion transcended all divides is not merely inappropriate but a profound affront to the spiritual ethos that defines Sikhism,” he said.

Pargat Singh said Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, a towering figure in Sikh history, selflessly tended to the wounded on battlefields during the 17th and 18th centuries, offering water and aid without distinction between friend or foe. “His legacy, immortalized in Sikh scriptures and traditions, stands as a beacon of universal compassion, sewa (selfless service), and unwavering devotion to Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s teachings. To drag this hallowed memory into the political fray of inter-state water disputes—employing it as a rhetorical device amid Punjab’s resolute opposition to the SYL canal—is to desecrate a symbol cherished by millions. Such remarks diminish the gravity of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji’s contributions and inflict deep hurt on the sentiments of the Sikh Panth, fostering division where unity and respect are paramount,” he said.

Pargat asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to tender a public apology forthwith, retract his statements, and recommit to addressing the SYL impasse through reasoned discourse rather than divisive hyperbole.

In Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal president Abhay Singh Chautala alleged that the purpose of meeting on SYL is to delay the construction of the contentious canal until the Punjab elections scheduled for next year. “If this issue could have been resolved through officials alone, there would have been no need for meetings between the chief ministers of the two states. The entire exercise is being carried out to mislead the public. The BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party are acting in collusion,” Chautala said.

“Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann used to say that Haryana would not be given even a drop of water, but now he says that no one’s rights should be denied. If Bhagwant Mann truly believes this, he should implement the Supreme Court’s decision with immediate effect,” he added.

In Punjab, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, “Punjab does not have even a single drop of surplus water to spare. Any move to concede Punjab’s rightful share under pressure or political considerations would be a historic betrayal of the state’s farmers and people”.

Khaira also expressed serious apprehension over what he termed as the “growing proximity” between the Aam Aadmi Party leadership and the BJP-led Central Government, stating that the people of Punjab have a right to know whether any behind the scenes understanding exists on crucial issues like the SYL canal. He said that the silence and ambiguity of the Mann government on such a vital matter is creating suspicion among citizens and farmers alike. “The Chief Minister must come clean and categorically assure Punjabis that there is no secret deal or political compromise with the Centre that could harm Punjab’s water rights,” Khaira asserted.