Not a drop to spare: Sampla

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla on Friday backed the Punjab’s stance over the sharing of river waters with Haryana, saying the state does not have even a drop of extra water to share.

Sampla also told reporters that his party was considering sending a delegation of state leaders to take up the issue with the Centre.

The remarks have come following the criticism of the BJP over the issue as the party-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi had reportedly come together to corner Punjab for the release of additional water from the Bhakra Dam.

However, Sampla accused Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of “already having shared thousands of cusecs of extra state waters” with Haryana and “failing to protect” Punjab’s interests.

Sampla said the state BJP stood behind the state’s stance that Punjab did not have even a drop of extra water to spare for Haryana.

“Haryana had sought 8500 cusecs of water. The BJP stands for the state’s right to its waters and believes that the state’s AAP government must also firmly stand for it,” he said.