Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal inLambi on Thursday. Express photo
The onging SYL row has alliance partners SAD and INLD taking oppositie political stand in the name of guarding interests of their respective states. Days after INLD led a protest blocking vehicles coming from Punjab to Haryana on the issue, the Akali Dal on Wednesday said that it will not allow Haryana to take even a drop of water.
Former CM Parkash Singh Badal, who was on a visit to his Lambi constituency, said,”SAD’s stand on SYL remains the same. Water is life of Punjab. We will not allow Haryana to take even a drop of water from Punjab. We will continue to fight for the interests of Punjabis.”
Talking to reporters in Mahuana village, he said, “Supreme Court had asked the state to build canal even earlier as well when SAD-BJP was ruling. However, we did not let this happen. We represented our case and had even given the land of the farmers back. So, we were very clear about this subject and hence we did not allow construction of SYL happen during the tenure of SAD-BJP government. We will not let it happen even now, though we are in opposition. Everyone can see, Punjab is facing acute shortage of water even now and if we will give water to Haryana, one can easily imagine the fate of the state.”
Badal, however, did not clarify his stand about INLD, whom the SAD supports in Haryana.
