SYL Canal row | SAD to Gov: ‘Dismiss Mann for compromising state’s interests in SC’

Badal claimed the AAP government in Punjab wants to give water to Haryana at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s behest. Targeting the AAP, Badal said Kejriwal has an eye on the elections in Haryana. “The press conference by Haryana AAP leaders are being held against the interests of Punjab in Punjab ministerial bungalows here where the AAP’s Haryana unit is saying that the state should be given the SYL water. Entire Punjab is saying there is no spare water to share nor will we give even if we have to lay down our lives,” he added.

Accompanied by senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and other party leaders, including Daljit Singh Cheema, Badal said former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal-led government had returned the land acquired for the SYL canal to the original owners free of cost. “The people of Punjab will not let single drop of water to go out. As the SAD president, I want to state this clearly that our party leaders preferred jails but did not allow canal construction, neither will they now, nor will water go out, this is the voice of people of Punjab,” he said.

On the Supreme Court asking the Centre to survey the portion of land in Punjab which was allocated for construction of part of the SYL canal, Badal said, “Neither will survey take place nor will we allow. Survey for what, there is no water. The land (has been returned to farmers) is not there. I also want to request the honourable court with folded hands that this (water) is Punjab’s life, no one can take it.”

He also said if the SAD government comes to power, they will revisit all water sharing agreements and not allow one extra drop of water to go to Rajasthan. “We also demand that the historic injustice meted out to Punjab on the SYL canal issue be corrected by bringing in legislation in the Parliament to settle the issue once and for all on the Riparian Principle under which Punjab has an inalienable right over all water flowing in its territory,” he said.

Earlier, the Akali Dal delegation handed over a representation to the Governor apprising him of “the manner in which the chief minister had backstabbed Punjab and Punjabis in the Supreme Court at the instance of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, who was hell bent on giving Punjab’s water to Haryana and even Rajasthan in direct violation of the Riparian Principle”.

Badal also appealed to the Governor to “recommend to the central government to bring in legislation in Parliament to correct the historic injustice meted out to Punjab on the SYL canal issue and settle it once and for all on the Riparian Principle under which Punjab has an inalienable right over all water flowing in its territory”. The Congress too hit out at the AAP government, with Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa blaming it for “surrendering Punjab’s rights on its river waters”.

After the SC order, Bajwa had said that Punjab Congress will leave no stone unturned to safeguard Punjab’s rights on its river waters. He had also urged Mann to call a special session of Vidhan Sabha exclusively on this agenda.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar too reiterated that “Punjab doesn’t have a drop of water to share”. Meanwhile, referring to a press conference by AAP Haryana leaders at Kothi number 964 in Chandigarh’s Sector-39 A on Thursday to demand construction of SYL in Punjab, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia and Bajwa accused the ruling party of misusing its powers.

Talking to media in front of the said Kothi, Majithia Friday said it “has been allotted in name of SAS Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh from CM pool”. Terming it a “blatant misuse of official government ministerial Kothis by AAP government”, Majithia said, “Punjabis want answer on how can AAP Haryana misuse a Punjab government Kothi for demanding construction of SYL canal in Punjab.” Bajwa accused the Mann government of adopting double standards on SYL construction.

The SYL canal was conceptualized for effective allocation of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. The project envisaged a 214-km canal, of which a 122-km stretch was to be constructed in Punjab and the remaining 92 km in Haryana. Haryana has completed the project in its territory but Punjab, which launched the construction work in 1982, shelved it subsequently.