Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for deliberately not fielding any senior lawyer to represent Punjab’s case in the Supreme Court on the SYL canal issue to facilitate Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal’s “stated goal” to give away state’s waters to Haryana and Delhi.
Senior SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra and Daljit Singh Cheema told the media here that it was is for the first time ever since the SYL case is being heard in the apex court that the Punjab government did not field a single senior lawyer for the case.
“Even the state Advocate General was not pressed into service. It is clear that this was done in league with the party’s high command in Delhi to achieve a one sided decision against Punjab.”
Asking Mann to tell Punjabis why he was taking one anti-Punjab stance after another on the orders of Kejriwal, the SAD leaders said “it is shocking that the Punjab government did not even inform the Supreme Court about Punjab’s firm stand that it had an inalienable right over its river waters as per the riparian law and that this issue was not negotiable”.
They said instead of doing this, the Punjab government gave its acquiescence to hold talks with its Haryana counterpart “which amounts to a betrayal of the state’s stand on this vital issue which concerns the future of its farmers and its economy”.
Chandumajra also demanded the Chief Minister call an all-party meeting to disclose AAP’s stand on this crucial issue to Punjabis. “Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Haryana, his subservience to Kejriwal and campaign along with AAP MP Sushil Gupta who has guaranteed that the SYL water will flow into Haryana has sent a wrong signal to Punjabis that he is getting ready to backstab the state.
“In case the Chief Minister does not spell out his clear stand soon, SAD will organise Punjabis through a Jago Punjab movement to force the government to listen to the sentiments of the people of the state.”
Cheema said while the Chief Minister was getting ready for a sellout, AAP legislators should also clear their stand on this vital issue.
He said Punjabis had given an overwhelming majority to AAP and elected 92 legislators to office. “These legislators are answerable to the people and they should not behave like servants of AAP and Bhagwant Mann but should voice the sentiments of Punjabis.”
–IANS