‘BJP-led Centre, Akalis have betrayed Punjab’
Wednesday, 02/03/2016
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CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the BJPled government at the Centre has betrayed Punjab by opposing its stand on water sharing in the Supreme Court.
According to reports, during the hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday, the Centre submitted that the law enacted in 2004 (during the Congress government) by Punjab cancelling its water-sharing agreements with Haryana and other neighbouring states was against the apex court order on the completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Punjab has been opposing the construction of SYL canal.
“This is the worst betrayal by the Centre that can have dangerous repercussions beyond anybody’s imagination”, the former chief minister warned, while reacting to the central government’s contention in the Supreme Court thereby opposing Punjab Termination of Agreements Act-2004 that opposes sharing of Punjab waters with other states.
Questioning chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s silence on the matter, Amarinder said: “As the Akali Dal is a part of the Union gover nment, it’s equally responsible for betraying and compromising Punjab’s interests in the Supreme Court.”
He further said: “Much water has flown down the Sutlej since the idea of SYL was conceived and today there is virtually no water left neither in Punjab’s rivers nor in underground aquifers even for its own needs, leave aside for others.”
Even according to the natural and internationally accepted riparian laws, Haryana did not have any right over the rivers flowing in Punjab, he added.
