SYL verdict: Akalis call emergency meeting

Ruling SAD today called an "emergency meeting" after Punjab suffered a serious setback with the Supreme Court holding as "unconstitutional" the 2004 law passed by it to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.
The party's alliance partner in Punjab, BJP, also toed the SAD line after the apex court's verdict. The BJP said, "Punjab does not have any surplus water to share with any other state."
"An emergency meeting of the Punjab Cabinet to discuss issues pertaining to the SYL canal (water sharing) verdict has been summoned here this evening," Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said.

"Everything will be decided either in the (SAD) Core Committee or the Cabinet meeting," he told reporters declining to make any further comment on the issue.
Badal dubbed the resignation of Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh as MP and his party's MLAs decision to follow the suit in the wake of the Supreme Court's verdict as "mere drama".
"His resignation and that of others is a drama. Assembly polls are due in two months. Won't they contest the next election. It is just a drama," he alleged.

The Supreme Court's verdict comes at a crucial juncture with Punjab going to polls early next year. The contentious issue is likely to have political ramifications.

Punjab BJP leader Vineet Joshi said, "We are not against giving water to Haryana or any other state of India, but the issue is Punjab does not have the surplus water to share. We cannot give water at the cost of our farmers."
The apex court judgment termed the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 as "unconstitutional" and said Punjab could not have taken a "unilateral" decision to terminate the water sharing agreement with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh.
Earlier in Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said, "Come what may, we will not allow even a single drop of precious river water of Punjab to go outside the state."

"Only the SAD-BJP government took special care of interests of all sections of the society," he alleged.
"Amarinder Singh had welcomed the then prime minister Indira Gandhi when she came to lay the foundation of the SYL canal at Kapoori," he claimed, adding now, Amarinder is indulging in "theatrics" eyeing next year's assembly polls.
(REOPENS DEL90)
Meanwhile, the Punjab BJP today held its core group meeting to discuss the emergent issue of SYL canal here.
"The party was completely with the farmers. It is necessary to save farmers as they were feeding the country and also contributed immensely to the economy," Punjab BJP Chief Vijay Sampla said after the meeting.

The BJP will not allow farmers to suffer at any cost, he said, accusing the Congress for its role in allowing SYL canal to be constructed.