Punjab farmers stage dharnas against SYL canal survey orders

Chandigarh October 9

Members of the Kirti Kisan Union today staged dharnas against the Central Government in Moga, Faridkot, Muktsar, Jalalabad, Bathinda, Sangrur, Patran, Samana, Patiala, Ajnala,Tarn Taran, Nawanshahr, Gurdaspur, Phillaur and Sultanpur Lodhi against the Supreme Court orders asking the Punjab Government to assist the Centre on conducting a survey of land acquired for the construction of the SYL canal and against the raids and filing of cases against NewsClick journalists.

The Kirti Kisan Union has stated that not even a drop of water is spare in Punjab. The union will not allow the construction of the canal. The organisation has also warned to form a morcha against it.

Demanding the cancellation of a case registered under the UAPA against NewsClick journalists, the union termed the allegations baseless.

Union president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike and general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, issuing a statement to the press, said the Central Government had pushed Punjab to a corner by neglecting the riparian principle on the issue of river waters. The successive governments had also done electoral politics on this issue. Today, when Punjab was going through a serious water crisis, steps were being taken by the Modi government to accelerate the efforts to take away river waters of Punjab.

Terming the orders of the Supreme Court anti-Punjab, the farmer leaders said if the survey team sets foot on the land of Punjab, it will be strongly opposed.