SAD vows to guard riverwaters

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Kili Chahlan (Moga), Dec 8

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership today vowed to save Punjab’s natural resources from being “plundered”, even if it meant “sacrificing” their lives. At its “Paani bachao, Punjab bachao” rally here today, the SAD left nobody in doubt that the fight for Punjab’s riverwaters would be its main election plank, projecting the party as the saviour of Punjab’s interests.

The BJP Punjab unit stood solidly behind the SAD, together raising slogans of “Punjab bachao, Congress, AAP bhajao” and “Bole so nihal, Sat Sri Akal”.

Targeting the Congress, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “While Capt Amarinder Singh betrayed Punjab by welcoming the then PM Indira Gandhi when she came to Kapoori village to lay the foundation stone of the SYL canal, the SAD stood with the people of Punjab by launching a ‘sangharsh’ against the injustice meted out to Punjab.”

Buoyed by the large turnout, he went on to say, "We will not allow a drop of water to be taken away, even if we have to sacrifice our lives for it". He said a petition signed by lakhs of Punjabis would be submitted to the President of India in this regard. 

Asking the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to apologise to the Punjab youth for having "defamed" them as drug addicts, he accused Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal of humiliating Punjabis the world over. 

He claimed that of the four lakh  youths appearing for police recruitment, only 1.25 per cent had tested positive for drugs. Wooing the youth, Sukhbir promised 2.5 lakh jobs and 1,000 skill development centres in the next two-and-a-half years.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said Punjab's rivers were its lifeline. “National and international laws stipulate that the waters belong to the state through which these flow. We have full right over the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi waters," he said, asking the people to raise their hand in favour of SAD’s "referendum" on the issue.

He said the denotification of land acquired for the SYL canal and its handover to original owners and their legal heirs had put a lid on the issue.

“Now, no one can construct the SYL and take away your water. Asin pakka intizaam kar ditta hai,” the CM claimed, while warning the people not to be "misled" by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh's "lip sympathy" for the Punjabis on the matter.

“Amarinder’s resignation from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat over the Supreme Court verdict on the Presidential Reference on the canal issue was a mere drama. With Assembly elections some months away, the resignation of Congress legislators was of no consequence,” he said.

Listing his government's pro-people initiatives, the Chief Minister said free power was supplied to farmers, atta-dal provided to weaker sections and free treatment provided for diseases like cancer and hepatitis C.

Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla said Punjab had no water to spare for Haryana or Rajasthan. “Haryana is already getting water from the Yamuna and Sharda rivers. The Prime Minister has done a favour to Punjab with his efforts to stop the flow of the Satluj and the Beas into Pakistan.  

“The BJP endorses the SAD’s stand on riverwaters. We need to protect our waters as these are the lifeline of Punjab’s farmers, traders and industrialists,” Sampla said.

Cabinet Ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Jathedar Tota Singh, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Sikander Singh Maluka, Sohan Singh Thandal, Jathedar Ajit Singh Kohar, Surjit Singh Rakhra and Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Lok Sabha MPs Prem Singh Chandumajra and Jathedar Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura, Rajya Sabha members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including   Bibi Jagir Kaur, attended the rally.