Majithia asks Rahul to explain his stand on SYL issue

Image
Press Trust of India Chandigarh
Last Updated : Mar 18 2016 | 10:22 PM IST
Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today alleged that Congress High Command and the state unit of the party are "speaking in different voices" on Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue and asked Rahul Gandhi to explain his stand on it.
"It is surprising that Rahul Gandhi is maintaining silence on such a sensitive issue. Since the Gandhi family has been responsible for the construction of SYL canal and robbing Punjab of its waters, it is incumbent on Rahul Gandhi to explain the current view of the party," he said.
"Punjab has suffered tremendously in the past due to the anti-Punjab stand of Congress High Command. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi even brow beat the then Punjab chief minister and forced the state to sign away its waters to Haryana paving way for construction of SYL canal," he claimed.
While last afternoon, Punjab Congress led by its legislature party leader conducted a "sham exercise" to fill up the SYL canal after farmers had started filling it up one day earlier, the Congress High Command was still to spell out its stand on the issue, the SAD general secretary alleged.
"It was only after the historic resolution moved by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, under which land for SYL canal de-notified and transferred back to the farmers, that the issue has finally found closure," he said.
"Now that the SYL canal itself has been made history by the CM, the Congress High Command and Rahul Gandhi should support the SAD-BJP alliance wholeheartedly," Majithia said.
"However, in case the Congress High Command and the Punjab unit of the party continue to speak in two different voices on the issue, the people of Punjab will understand that the party is following its age-old policy of discrimination and is not interested in getting justice for the state," he added.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 18 2016 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story