SYL, Punjab waters issue 'non-negotiable': Sukhbir

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh not to agree to any settlement with Haryana on the issue of Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and said the issue of Punjab waters was "non- negotiable".
He also said that holding any negotiation on this issue was akin to walking into a trap.
Notably, the Supreme Court today granted six weeks' time to the Centre to explore the possibility of an amicable solution to the Satlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row between Punjab and Haryana.
"Amarinder should learn from past mistakes including accompanying then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to inaugurate digging of the SYL canal. He should now simply declare no SYL, no water to Haryana," Badal said in a statement.

Asking the chief minister to take this step without further ado, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president said the Punjab government need to send out a clear message to farmers in the state that no negotiations could be held to barter away their precious river waters.
"Even approaching the negotiating table will tantamount to selling away the interests of the state," he said.

Badal said the Punjab government must understand that the state's rights over its river waters were inalienable.
"Amarinder Singh has already made a mistake earlier by stating that he was ready to hold talks with Haryana on the SYL issue. The chief minister should know that no SYL exists on Punjab territory.

"Former CM Parkash Singh Badal returned the land acquired for the canal to farmers. In such a situation when no canal exists on the ground, no negotiation can be held on this issue with Haryana," he said.
SAD president said it will be best for the chief minister to follow the line taken by Parkash Singh Badal who had unequivocally declared that Punjab did not have a single drop of water to give to Haryana.
"There cannot be any comprise on the inalienable rights of Punjab under the riparian principle. We will never allow this to happen and will oppose any such move tooth and nail," he said.