Latest News | Punjab: Ruling AAP Slams SAD over SYL Canal Issue

Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) Punjab's ruling AAP Thursday hit out at the Shiromani Akali Dal over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue, alleging those who now claim not to let even a single drop of water to flow outside the state had issued a notification for the construction of the canal.

The Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang called the SAD's October 10 protest over the SYL issue as a drama.

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"The SAD was staging a drama on the roads of Chandigarh a few days back saying that they will not let even a drop of Punjab's water go out and they will not allow the construction of the SYL Canal," Kang said here.

But the fact is that it was the then Parkash Singh Badal government of the SAD which had issued the notification on February 20, 1978 for acquiring land for building the SYL Canal, said Kang.

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The AAP leader said at that time, the then Haryana chief minister Chaudhary Devi Lal had praised Badal for issuing the notification for acquisition of the land.

Kang said Devi Lal in the Assembly had said because of his friendship with Badal, he convinced him to notify the land acquisition.

The notification is in the Punjab government's record and Devi Lal's speech is in the record of the Haryana Assembly said the AAP leader.

Reacting to the AAP charge, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema slammed the AAP for using a one-page document of former Haryana chief minister Devi Lal's speech in the assembly to defame the Akali Dal.

He said the speech, which was delivered for the consumption of Haryana legislators, only talked about the Punjab government's intention to acquire land in three villages.

He said that after assuming power in 1978, then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal challenged section 78 of the Punjab Reorganization Act which gave power to the Centre to allocate river waters between Punjab and Haryana.

"Badal Sahab also did not allow the SYL Canal to be constructed during his period as chief minister. He also launched a 'morcha' to stop construction of the SYL Canal at Kapuri village,” said Cheema.

The opposition leaders have been attacking the AAP government over the SYL Canal issue, accusing it of failing to safeguard the state's interest.

Their criticism came following the Supreme Court directive on October 4, asking the Centre to conduct a survey of land in Punjab that was allocated for the construction of the canal's portion in the state and make an estimate of the extent of work carried out there.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Kang said the debate to discuss Punjab issues, which was called by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on November 1, will be held at an auditorium of the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar Wednesday had said he was not going to be the part of any “drama” as he was not a theatre artist, calling Mann's challenge for an open debate as part of his “ploy to distract peoples' attention” from main issues of the state.

Mann on Sunday has challenged the BJP, Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal for an open debate on issues pertaining to the state on November 1, amid opposition parties' criticism over the issue of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)