SYL canal row: Heated exchange of words in Haryana Assembly

The Haryana assembly today witnessed heated exchange of words between the treasury benches and opposition members on the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
The treasury benches charged the Congress with "creating obstacles" in the construction of SYL canal, while the Congress MLAs trooped into the Well of the House when one of their members was not allowed to speak on the issue.
Participating in the discussion on the Governor's address when the proceedings of the House resumed today, BJP MLA Prem Lata questioned the members of Congress that when the 95 per cent work on the SYL canal was completed why the remaining work was not done.

In response, Congress Legislature Party leader and former state minister Kiran Chaudhary said the 95 per cent work on SYL canal was completed by the Bansi Lal government and the remaining work could not be completed since the Devi Lal government took the reins of the state, leading to exchange of allegations between treasury benches and opposition members.
BJP MLA Krishan Bedi while turning the heat on the opposition benches said neither the INLD nor the Congress was "serious" on SYL issue as the canal was dug up from the tail end which was "not aimed to bring water" to the state.

Haryana minister Anil Vij blamed the Congress for "stopping" SYL canal and accused former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh of "terminating" the water sharing agreements.

Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar intervened and said a drop of water still has not reached the state and political parties are claiming credit for digging up the canal.
"Credit will go to only those who bring water to the state," the Speaker remarked, in an apparent swipe at Congress for not resolving the inter-state issue despite its repeated governments at the Centre.
Reacting to the Speaker's remark, INLD leader Jaswinder Sandhu accused him of favouring the state government.

As the Congress MLA and former Speaker Raghuvir Singh Kadiyan sought to speak on SYL matter, BJP members opposed and accused him of disrupting the proceedings of the House.
When he told the Speaker to allow him to speak on his point of order, the Speaker reminded him that it was the Chair's prerogative to accept or reject his request.