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SYL row: Will not take part in ‘sham debate’, says Akali Dal
n a statement here, senior party leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said Mann was organising a ‘sham debate’ to divide Punjabis on the orders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and the party would not be part of this ‘anti-Punjab exercise’
In a statement here, senior party leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said Mann was organising a ‘sham debate’ to divide Punjabis on the orders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and the party would not be part of this ‘anti-Punjab exercise’.
“We have learnt that the survey teams from the Centre are expected to reach Punjab on November 1. Our focus will be on ensuring these teams do not conduct any survey on Punjab soil. Accordingly, we will be protesting against any attempt to conduct a survey to facilitate the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to transfer the state’s waters to Haryana, both at the starting point of the canal at Loondh Khad near Kiratpur and at its endpoint in Kapuri village in Patiala district,” Chandumajra said.
On Wednesday, state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar had slammed the state government for choosing Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh as a venue to hold a discussion on the serious issue of Punjab’s waters.
Jakhar had said he won’t be attending the debate on serious issues at any theatre. “Am I an artiste or a comedian that I will go to a theatre? I am not running away from any debate, but it should be at a meaningful place,” Jakhar said.
The Punjab CM had on October 8 challenged the Opposition leaders for an open debate on issues facing the state.
The CM’s dare came amid a slugfest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition parties over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
The SAD leader said Mann is set to betray Punjab’s interests in the same manner as former chief minister Darbara Singh who had succumbed to pressure from Indira Gandhi and agreed to transfer Punjab’s waters to Haryana besides agreeing to the construction of the SYL canal.
“This time Bhagwant Mann is following the directions of Arvind Kejriwal and is bent on creating conditions for the transfer of Punjab’s waters to Haryana. The debate being held on November 1 at PAU-Ludhiana is being held solely to divide the political parties of Punjab and create acrimony amongst them so that Punjabis cannot unite against the conspiracy to part them with their river waters,” Chandumajra added.
Chandumajra said if the CM had been interested in a resolution which safeguarded Punjab’s interests he would have called an all-party meeting to present a united front before the Supreme Court hearing.
