Decide modalities, discuss SYL — and invite Arvind Kejriwal: Opp to Bhagwant Mann on Nov 1 debate

Senior Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said Kejriwal is directing the Punjab government, and Mann should tell people whether he has invited the Delhi CM for the debate.

Party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar, said, “We do not want to make it a fight to score any political goal. If the chief minister is serious on this, he should first give the agenda and hold a meeting with all the parties.”

Party leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said that it was important to finalise the modalities of the debate as to which all parties will participate in it, who will steer it impartially and who will come out with a joint declaration on behalf of all participants. He said all major political parties, including the AAP, the Congress, the SAD, the BSP, the BJP, the CPI and the CPM, should form part of the debate.

Cheema said the SAD had suggested that the debate be limited to discussing the SYL canal issue only so that a joint solution could be found to save the river waters of Punjab.

The leaders made it clear that the SAD was ready for a debate on all issues concerning Punjab at a later date and told the chief minister it was not too late even now to finalise the modalities on the SYL canal issue.

Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Bajwa said that his party was ready for the debate. “I demand that the CM should call a meeting of leaders of all parties who have been invited and tell us what will be the format (of the debate), its modalities, who will speak first,” said Bajwa.

The Qadian MLA suggested neutral moderators for the debate as he raised questions over the CM’s choice of Nirmal Jaura being made the moderator. Jaura was appointed as the director of students’ welfare at the Punjab Agricultural University by the AAP government.

Bajwa said till now, no invitation has been received for the debate and added, “We are ready for the debate. I am already prepared for it. Our president is also ready for the same”.

However, Bajwa slammed the AAP, claiming that the agenda of the debate has been framed by party supremo Kejriwal and MP Sandeep Pathak.
Jakhar, meanwhile, attacked Mann over the SYL canal issue, accusing him of not being serious about the state’s river waters.

Jakhar said if the SYL canal is built and more water is given to Haryana, Punjab’s Malwa area, especially Abohar, will be adversely affected. “If somebody is not worried about river waters it is the Chief minister Bhagwant Mann because he is not serious about it,” said Jakhar.

The BJP leader said Punjab does not have a single drop of water to spare with any other state.

Replying to a question on the November 1 debate, Jakhar said that he had been saying from day one that the AAP government believed in “deception and distraction.” It tries to divert attention and befool people, he alleged.

Meanwhile, the SAD also described as “extremely unfortunate” the manner in which the CM was trying to “divert attention” from the debate by alluding that the SAD was afraid of participating in it. “This is farthest from the truth. The SAD was not intimidated by the British or the Emergency. We have steadfastly protected the river waters of Punjab and if water is not flowing into the SYL canal it is because of the SAD which first launched the ‘Kapoori Morcha’ and later denotified and returned the land on which the SYL stands back to farmers”, the senior leaders asserted.

The ‘Main Punjab Bolda Han’ debate will be held in an auditorium with 1,200 sitting capacity at the Punjab Agricultural University. In the debate, each party will get 30 minutes to present their views, Mann said.