Punjab-Haryana border fortified as INLD sticks to SYL digging plan

Chandigarh, February 22

With Haryana's opposition party INLD sticking to its plan to undertake digging of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Punjab from Thursday, the police of the two states have beefed up security arrangements to maintain law and order situation at the border.

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Owing to the possible showdown between Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) workers and the forces, the security agencies stayed on toes today completely fortifying the Shambhu barrier on NH1 on Punjab and Haryana border, about 30 km from here.

Punjab DGP Suresh Arora and his Haryana counterpart K P Singh visited Shambu village and both took stock of the situation arising out of INLD's plan to dig the SYL canal.

Amid the escalating tension over the sensitive SYL issue, Punjab has deployed 10 companies of paramilitary forces and nearly 5,000 policemen near villages located on its border with Haryana, officials said.

Haryana, too, has deployed five companies of paramilitary forces, besides police in adequate strength to ensure that the law and order is not disturbed.

With the police of the two states working in tandem to tackle the situation, the roads have been barricaded and walls raised at Shambhu border.

Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons, too has been imposed and five duty magistrates have been stationed in the area.

With INLD threatening to march to Punjab tomorrow, there is heavy security at the Kapuri-Shambu border which falls in Patiala district.

INLD activists are scheduled to assemble tomorrow at the Ambala grain market, 2 km from the Shambu border.

Aerial surveillance

A senior Punjab police official said today that aerial surveillance will also be conducted tomorrow to keep an eye on the situation.

"All possible measures have been taken. Forces are ready to tackle any situation," said Punjab's DGP Suresh Arora.

Arora had reviewed yesterday the security arrangements at Shambhu barrier in the wake of INLD's threat to undertake digging of the SYL canal.

Haryana's Additional Director General of Police R C Mishra too has reviewed the security arrangements in the wake of the INLD's call.

INLD's senior leader Abhay Chautala has said his party will go ahead with the call.

"We will fight for Haryana's right as the Supreme Court has given its verdict on the water issue in Haryana's favour," Abhay Chautala had said in Ambala.

Abhay Chautala and other party leaders have been mobilising support for tomorrow's event.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asserted that Punjab "does not have a single drop of water to spare" for any other state as its farmers are facing acute water shortage due to the fast-receding water level in the state.

In the wake of INLD's call to dig the canal, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said the issue of Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal should not be politicised.

"Although the Supreme Court has given its decision in favour of Haryana, regular hearing is being conducted in the case," said Khattar in reply to reporters' query over the INLD's call.

Khattar said an all-party delegation led by him had called on the President on this issue and he had given a patient hearing.

Haryana Chief Minister Khattar said the Supreme Court has already set aside the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004.

On the law and order situation in Haryana, he said it would be maintained at all cost.

He said both the people at large as well as various political parties have been asked not to take the law in their hands.

Khattar said though the issue is related to the Punjab government, he believed that peace would prevail in the state.

The Punjab Congress, meanwhile, sought deployment of the armed forces to prevent any untoward incident tomorrow and demanded preventive arrest of INLD leader Abhay Chautala, besides the cancellation of party supremo Om Prakash Chautala's parole to control the situation which, it said, has "escalated to the dangerous proportions."

Stating that he had been repeatedly warning that the SYL issue has the potential to trigger the revival of terrorism in Punjab, state Congress chief Capt Amarinder said "the intelligence reports endorsing my fears necessitated a strong crackdown on INLD and its leaders before the situation goes out of hand”.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said if INLD is serious about Haryana getting its rightful share, it should support the Congress and put pressure on the Centre to get the canal completed at the earliest. — PTI