New Delhi, July 16
Opposition members today criticised the government for not taking the House into confidence before referring the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal (SYL) issue to the Supreme Court.
Raising the issue soon after the House assembled, BJP leader V. K. Malhotra said, "The House should have been taken into confidence before referring the issue to the Supreme Court."
In his response, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said since certain developments had taken place on the issue of sharing of river waters, the Centre had to report to the apex court.
Soon after, several BJP members joined Mr Malhotra but were disallowed by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who asked members to cooperate, saying, "Every corner of the House is being telecast."
Akali Dal MPs, though present in the House, did not react during a brief uproar raised by some BJP members. They have pressing upon the BJP to be "neutral" on the Punjab river waters issue. The BJP members, who were up on their feet, were supporting Mr Malhotra.
The government had reported to the Supreme Court about the Punjab Assembly's enactment of the Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, and other related developments on the sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters and had sought its directions, said Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Mukherjee made the statement when senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra asked why the government had not informed Parliament about the position it had stated in the application filed on the waters issue in the Supreme Court yesterday.
