Clarify stance on Punjab's river waters: Akalis ask Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh, April 19

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to tell Punjabis whether the guarantee given by Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta on behalf of the party that Punjab’s river waters would flow to each and every field in Haryana had been given with his blessings.

Govt under fire

Mann must tell Punjabis whether the guarantee given by the AAP MP that Punjab’s river waters would flow to each and every field in Haryana had been given with his blessings. — Daljit Cheema, SAD Leader

Terming the MP’s statement as shocking, senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said, “The Delhi MP, who is from Haryana, could have only given such a guarantee if he had been authorised to do so by AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. The issue is whether the Punjab Chief Minister was taken in the loop or not. Bhagwant Mann should make his stand clear on this issue immediately as Punjabis will never allow AAP to barter away its core interests.”

Stating that the SAD would never allow this conspiracy to succeed, Dr Cheema said: “Our river waters are our life blood. We have always maintained that we do not have one extra drop of water to spare. Much of our own land is facing the brunt of water shortage with 109 out of the 138 blocks in the state being put in the red zone due to declining water table.” —