Protesters of INLD, BSP court arrest in Sirsa over SYL issue

A large number of protesters of the Indian National Lok Dal and their ally Bahujan Samaj Party courted arrest in Sirsa today as part of the ongoing Jail Bharo agitation launched by the two parties over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and other issues.

Led by the Leader of the Opposition and senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala, state president of INLD Ashok Arora, state president of BSP Prakash Bharati and Indian National Students Organisation leader Digvijay Singh Chautala, the protesters demanded early completion of the SYL canal.

Before courting arrest in Sirsa, Abhay Singh Chautala came down heavily on the BJP government at the centre and State.

"The Centre has shown scant respect for the Supreme Court by not only failing to follow its directions regarding the completion of the SYL canal but for also trying to divert the issue by injecting extraneous issues about the flow of the waters of the Ravi," he was quoted as saying in a party release.

Abhay Singh Chautala said the workers of INLD and BSP would not allow these "diversionary tactics" to work and would continue their struggle to secure justice for the farmers and people of Haryana.

He also alleged that the Manohar Lal Khattar government in the state shelved the Dadupur Nalvi canal project "simply because it was not willing to pay the enhanced amount of compensation as directed by the Supreme Court".

He also criticised the state government for "failing" to secure water from Uttar Pradesh for Mewat farmers from Agra canal.

"However, the INLD-BSP alliance will ensure that these injustices end as soon as possible," Abhay Singh Chautala said.

Over the law-and-order situation in the state, he said, "The Dalits, women and children are increasingly becoming victims of heinous crimes."