SYL issue: Arvind Kejriwal plays balancing act

Taking a U-turn on his previous stand on Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that justice should be done to both the States of Punjab and Haryana on the issue of SYL canal.

“We will accept the decision of Supreme Court on the SYL issue. As the governments of Punjab and Haryana could not settled the issue amicably, now the Apex Court will decide the issue and we will accept whatever the court decides,” said Kejriwal while talking to the mediapersons in Rohtak on Thursday.

Kejriwal, who had earlier favored Punjab on the issue of SYL canal, also accused the BJP, Congress and INLD of playing politics on SYL canal.

Ahead of Punjab assembly polls in 2017, Kejriwal, while favoring the Punjab on SYL issue had said that waters of Punjab won’t go outside the state as the state has no water to spare.

His statement had attracted sharp criticism from political parties in Haryana, which is the home state of Kejriwal.

The Delhi Chief Minister, who had reached Rohtak on Thursday to take part in ‘Bhaichara Kanwar Yatra’ organized by Haryana’s AAP unit said that the ruling BJP and opposition parties- Congress and INLD- are doing politics over the issue of SYL canal.

All these political parties have failed to construct SYL canal during their tenures in Haryana, he said.

The AAP’s chief had recently announced that his party will contest next year’s general elections and assembly polls in Haryana.

In the previous parliamentary polls held in 2014, AAP had lost on all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and most of its candidates had finished at fourth or fifth position. Following this, the AAP had not contested the state assemblypolls held in October 2014.

Slamming the Manohar Lal Khattar Government in Haryana, Kejriwal said Haryana lagged behind Delhi in terms of development, and asked Manohar Lal why he had failed to revolutionize the power, water, education and health sectors.

“Manohar Lal should learn from us how to work,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.

He claimed that the Delhi government had brought in a revolution in the sectors of water, power, education and health despite the hurdles created by Union Government through the lieutenant Governor's office.

Kejriwal also demanded that the Haryana Government should distribute Rs 1 crore each to the families of martyred soldiers, on the pattern of Delhi Government.

Highlighting the achievements of AAP led Delhi Government, he promised to improve health and education sector, redress grievances of farming community and maintaining law and order situation in Haryana.

Kejriwal also attacked the BJP over the incidents of lynching and deteriorating law and orders situation across the country.

KEJRIWAL PLAYS DOWN PUNJAB AAP INFIGHTING

Kejriwal  played down the infighting in the party’s Punjab unit, calling it a family matter.  “Fights do take place among members of a family. It will be resolved,” he said while responding to the questions of mediapersons on infighting in Punjab’s AAP unit.

Recently, Punjab unit of the AAP went into a crisis after party legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira was removed from the post of Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly. Following this, Khaira and seven other MLAs had declared the AAP’s Punjab unit “autonomous” and dissolved the present organisational structure.

Not only this, Khaira had called Kejriwal and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia “dictators”. The rebels have also set up an ad hoc political affairs committee which will choose a parallel head of the state unit.

Reacting to the developments in Punjab’s AAP unit, Kejriwal said that the issue is within the family and it will be resolved.

On being asked about the resignations tendered in March by Sangrur MP Bhagwant Singh Mann and Sunam MLA Aman Arora as president and co-president of the state unit, Kejriwal said both posts are vacant.

At the same time, he maintained that the resignations were not accepted by the party.

The two had resigned in protest after Kejriwal had apologised for accusing Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia of being involved in the drug trade.

On the issue of his apology to Majithia, the Delhi CM said that he has already clarified the entire issue.

MP Bhagwant Mann had recently accused Sukhpal Khaira of weakening the party for personal interests.