Badal asks Cong MLAs to attend special assembly session

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said Congress MLAs must attend the special session of state assembly for chalking out a concrete strategy to protect waters of the state, asserting that Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal is not a political issue but a matter involving the lifeline of Punjab.
Punjab government has convened a special session on November 16 following the Supreme Court verdict on the water issues. After the verdict, all 42 Congress MLAs have tendered their resignations from the state assembly.
Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of a function to mark 20th death anniversary of Subedar Bapu Kartar Singh, father of Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, here, the Chief Minister said that in larger interests of the state, the Congress MLAs must ensure their presence in the special session.

Badal said it was the need of the hour so that the message was conveyed to the entire country that whole Punjab was united on this emotive issue.
He said this was fight of every Punjabi and a united house must resolve to protect the waters of state at any cost.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that neither NDA government nor Prime Minister Narendra Modi has any role in this matter as the ball is now in the court of President, to whom the Apex court has given advice on SYL issue.

He said that they would soon meet the President and apprise him about the depleting water level in the state.

Badal said that "we are duty-bound to protect waters of state and every option will be explored to save it".
On queries pertaining to protests by Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, he said that both these parties are indulging in political gimmickry on this issue for their vested political interests.
He said Congress was the perpetrator of this sin against the state and its people.
Badal said that AAP government in Delhi had submitted affidavit against the state in Supreme Court on this issue.
"But now both of them are trying to mislead people through such tantrums", he added.
He assailed the opposition parties for allegedly misleading the people on this sensitive issue.

Badal said that while the then Giani Zail Singh
government had given its administrative approval, the Congress government headed by the then Chief Minister Darbara Singh had organised a "ground breaking ceremony".
"Darbara Singh, heading the Congress goverment in Punjab had taken back the case filed by him, as Chief Minister of state, in the Supreme Court, challenging this accord.
Urging the people of Punjab and Haryana to exercise restraint, the Chief Minister said there was no animosity between the common people on this issue.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, the chief minister, while asserting that SYL would never become a reality, exhorted the people to make every sacrifice to protect the river waters of the state.

Badal categorically said that Punjab doesn't have a single drop of spare water for anybody adding that SYL agreement was a grave injustice done by the successive Congress governments with the state.
He said that Akali Dal was opposed to this agreement, which robbed the water of state, from day one, adding that now also they were firm to their stand to not allow the construction of this canal at any cost.
The Chief Minister said that ironically, Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and other Congress leaders who hailed the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for laying foundation stone for this project in 1980s, were now resorting to tactics like resignations and protests just to mislead the people.

However, he said the wise Punjabis know that those who who ignored the interests of the state for their political future are the real culprits.
Badal said it was high time that every Punjabi must rise on the occasion to prevent the construction of the canal, which would ruin the state.
He said that while signing the agreement of the SYL canal, the then Congress government at the centre completely overlooked the universally accepted Riparian Principle on river water sharing.
"Every Punjabi is duty bound to oppose this move and all of us should pledge to protect the waters of the state at any cost," added Badal.