Govt not to stop INLD workers, will maintain law & order

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The Haryana Government will not stop Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supporters marching to dig the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. But at the same time, the INLD has decided to hold a rally at the Sabzi Mandi, Ambala, first and then take a decision to march towards Punjab. Security forces have been deployed both in Haryana and Punjab in the three border districts on each side following a Supreme Court directive to ensure that law and order is maintained.

A joint meeting of senior officials from Punjab and Haryana was held in Chandigarh where besides others, the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of both the states took stock of the situation. Those who attended the meeting included Haryana and Punjab in-charges of law and order and intelligence, besides six deputy commissioners, three each from affected districts in the two states.

The Punjab Government requested its Haryana counterparts to ensure that the INLD cadres did not carry any digging implement to the rally. But Haryana officers expressed helplessness at taking any such preventive action. Haryana has conveyed to Punjab that it was not proposing any preventive action at the moment and would only step in if law and order is violated.

There is hardly any point where the INLD can start digging as the SYL in Haryana is already filled with diverted water from other sources into downstream beyond Kapuri where the canal enters Haryana. To dig the canal, the INLD will have to enter Punjab, which would not be possible without confrontation as the Punjab Government has already built a temporary wall to prevent this.

The INLD, however, today said it was firm on its resolve to start digging of the canal from tomorrow.

Leader of Opposition and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said his party workers would assemble at the Ambala vegetable market as per the scheduled programme and after holding a rally there, they would march towards the SYL at Ghaggar Sarai in Punjab to dig the canal.

Ashok Arora, state president of the party, maintained that INLD workers were not going to pose any threat to law and ordersituation. “We are only going to perform ‘Kar Sewa’. The Supreme Court has already ordered digging of the canal. We are only going to do what ideally should have been done by the government,” said Arora.

Accusing the BJP government of showing lack of seriousness on the issue, both Chautala and Arora said in an all-party meeting held under Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, it was decided to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Khattar has so far not been able to seek appointment with the PM. Khattar’s appointment with the PM earlier this week was cancelled at the last minute for unknown reasons, it is learnt.

ADGP RC Mishra, Commissioner of Panchkula Police and in-charge of Ambala Range, said “We have deployed adequate number of cops to maintain law and order in the area. Traffic on the national highway will also be diverted from Kingfisher for a few hours.”