Has Akali Dal Accused Punjab CM of Sacrificing River Water Rights?
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Chandigarh, Jan 28 (NationPress) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has recently raised serious allegations against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, claiming that he is willing to jeopardize the state's river water rights merely to protect his political position.
Akali Dal leader Parambans Singh Romana drew parallels with former Chief Minister Darbara Singh, who compromised the state's river water rights under the influence of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He accused the current Chief Minister of preparing to cede Punjab's water resources to Haryana at the behest of his leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Romana questioned why the Chief Minister failed to reassure the people of Punjab that the state could not afford to spare even a single drop of water, emphasizing that the AAP government appears ready to relinquish Punjab's river waters to Haryana.
He highlighted the Chief Minister's intention to discuss water allocation before proceeding with the construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, stating, "This clearly indicates that the intention is to divert our river waters to Haryana."
The Akali Dal leader vowed to thwart any attempts to allow even a single drop of Punjab's water to flow into Haryana. He mentioned that party President Sukhbir Badal has promised that the next government led by SAD would rectify historical injustices by halting water flow into the Rajasthan canal and redirecting it to Punjab's agricultural fields.
Romana also accused Kejriwal of plotting to hand over Punjab's water resources to Haryana and Delhi since 2017, citing statements and affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court. "Despite all efforts, the SAD will not allow this conspiracy to succeed," Romana asserted.