Punjab parties target Omar for remarks on water sharing
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab on Friday targeted Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for his remarks that no permission will be given as of now for any proposal to build a canal to divert surplus water to other states
Chandigarh: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab on Friday targeted Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for his remarks that no permission will be given as of now for any proposal to build a canal to divert surplus water to other states.
Reacting to Abdullah’s remarks, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg accused the National Conference leader of deliberately politicising the water issue, saying the authority to decide on river waters lies with the central government. “Hence, Omar cannot take a unilateral decision on this matter,” Garg said in a statement. He also emphasised that Punjab needs water, and therefore, it should also get a share of the Indus River’s water.
“Now, it is the Centre’s responsibility to appropriately distribute the remaining water and give Punjab its rightful share,” he said.
Pointing out that Punjab is also a border state like Jammu and Kashmir, Garg said: “Whenever there is a war, Punjab becomes the battleground. And when the country needs foodgrains, it becomes the granary of the nation. Now that there is water available, Punjab has a legitimate claim over it.”
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said in a statement: “It is unbecoming of the J&K chief minister to make such remarks when the canals proposed to be constructed are meant to save water from flowing into Pakistan.”
Claiming that Abdullah was trying to “politicise the issue”, Warring said: “Where will you send the water and where will you divert the canals?” Pointing out that Punjab would be the natural course of flow for the canals, Warring said Abdullah’s remarks “only smacks of partisan political rhetoric when the issue is very sensitive from the point of national interest”.
The SAD also targeted the J&K chief minister for his remarks. Former minister and senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said in a statement: “It is a historical fact that the then Indira Gandhi government did injustice to Punjab by giving away a huge share of its river water to Rajasthan, a non-riparian state.”
“Every time it is Punjab which suffers the most. River waters were snatched from our state,” Cheema alleged. He also accused Abdullah of attempting to do injustice to Punjab.
