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Next big battle will be over river waters: Navjot Sidhu
Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu said that Chandigarh was just an “excuse” and the real target was the river waters of Punjab
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday said that Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and will always remain so, warning that the “next big battle” will be over river waters.
The former Punjab Congress chief said that Chandigarh was just an “excuse” and the real target was the river waters of Punjab. His remarks on the ongoing row for the control over Chandigarh, the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, came a day after several Haryana leaders demanded the completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal for its share of river waters.
The Punjab assembly had passed a resolution on Friday seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state. The Haryana government has also summoned a special session of the state assembly on Tuesday on the issue. The SYL canal has been a bone of contention between the two states.
In a tweet in Hindi, Sidhu said that built on 27 villages of Punjab, Chandigarh belonged to Punjab and will remain so. “Kahin pe nigahein, kahin pe nishana. Chandigarh to bahana hai, Punjab ke dariyayi paani pe nishana hai (The target is not what it seems. Chandigarh is just an excuse the target is Punjab’s river waters). Beware the next big battle is for the river waters of Punjab,” he posted on Twitter, tagging the chief ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
Lost cause of Chandigarh: Sunil Jakhar
Another senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar termed Chandigarh as a “lost cause”, stating that the camaraderie between people of the two states will be first casualty of rising tempers and acrimony over the Union Territory.
“The camaraderie, the brotherhood between people of Pb/Hry, reinforced at Singhu/Tikri borders, will be 1st casualty of rising tempers & acrimony over the ‘lost cause’ of Chandigarh as Haryana too convenes a spl session, to give a ‘befitting reply’ to Punjab. And winner is (sic),” he tweeted with a picture of a short story of two fighting cats and a monkey.
