Calling the debate a ‘maha-drama’, leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has once again demonstrated its insincerity over the loot of Punjab’s river waters.
Bajwa said that a night before the debate, the chief minister, through his post on ‘X’ changed the topic of the debate from the SYL canal to four issues, including drug abuse, growing gangsterism, and unemployment. He also accused the CM of squandering ₹30 crore of Punjab’s taxpayers on the fake publicity of this maha-drama. “In Haryana, all parties have united to grab the river waters from Punjab through SYL canal, whereas Punjab’s arrogant CM has been intoxicated with power and completely disregarded the opposition parties,” he said. Bajwa, along with Raja Warring, were among the leaders who were asked by Mann to debate the issues of Punjab with him. Both Congress leaders kept away from the event in Ludhiana.
Warring accused the CM of enacting the drama to divert attention from real issues of the state and present himself as the only person who speaks for the state. “Debates take place before the elections, and when people get elected, they speak in Parliament or the state assemblies. The government created unnecessary hype. Khoda pahad nikli chuhiya,” he said at a press conference, meaning thereby that there was much ado about nothing.
{{/usCountry}}Warring accused the CM of enacting the drama to divert attention from real issues of the state and present himself as the only person who speaks for the state. “Debates take place before the elections, and when people get elected, they speak in Parliament or the state assemblies. The government created unnecessary hype. Khoda pahad nikli chuhiya,” he said at a press conference, meaning thereby that there was much ado about nothing.
{{/usCountry}}The PPCC chief said they were willing to discuss the SYL canal issue at length in the state assembly, including the statement of AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sandeep Pathak in favour of Haryana on this issue. He also questioned Mann’s ‘tall claims’ regarding the cancellation of permits in the transport sector and ₹57,796 crore investments.