Terming that the construction of Satluj Yamuna link (SYl) canal would be a ‘death warrant’ for the entire State, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday exhorted all the Punjabis to unite and intensify struggle against the construction of the canal.
Addressing a huge gathering here during religious congregation to mark the Baisakhi festival, the Chief Minister said that the people of the State have to wage relentless battle against the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who were hell-bent upon snatching the river waters of the State.
He said that it was on record that the Congress and AAP were both the enemies of the State, who were hand in glove each other in depriving the State of its water by constructing the SYl canal.
The Chief Minister reiterated that Punjab would be ruined if SYl canal was constructed as water was the only lifetime of the State. He said that water was the basic ingredient of life and any such move to share the river waters of the State would be disastrous as it would ruin Punjab. Badal categorically said that any decision to rob the State of its water is, was and would never be acceptable to the State at any cost. “We are opposing the canal because it is a direct assault on the food security of the State and Sikh panth. So no Punjabi will ever tolerate this grave injustice against the State” he added.
He accused the Congress for being solely responsible for the plight of Punjab and Punjabis. Reminding the people about the notorious past of the Congress party, he said the Congress had irrelevantly meddled in economic, political, social and even religious affairs of the State adding that no Punjabi could ever forgive Congress for 1984 anti-Sikh Carnage and Operation Blue Star. “We all must remember that every person who supports Congress justifies Operation Blue star which was direct assault on our religious feelings”, added Badal.
listing the major initiatives taken by the State Government, the Chief Minister said that during the past more than nine years the State Government has provided free power to farmers worth Rs 28000 crore otherwise their problems would have accentuated manifold on account of electricity bills of tube well.
He said that the State Government has started first of its kind scheme to provide interest free crop loans worth Rs 50000 to the farmers. He further said that in another historic decision it has been decided that all the farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs 50,000 and an insurance of Rs 5 lakh in case of accidental death or incapacitation of head of family adding that now the State Government has passed a law.
In his address, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) being the true representative of Punjabi people, won't shy away from making even the biggest of sacrifices for the sake of Punjab.
lashing out at the Opposition parties especially Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for spreading misleading information and also branding entire Punjabi people as drug addicts, Deputy Chief Minister said that these parties are inimical to the progress of the State and have no love for the ethos and culture of it. lambasting the Congress, he said that this party under the instructions from its High Command in Delhi is always finding ways and means to spread malicious propaganda against Punjab. Not only this, Congress attacked the holiest of Sikh shrines Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
Taking on the AAP, Sukhbir said the party has started emulating the Congress policies by attacking Sikh shrines, which is evident from the demolition of ‘Piau’ at Gurudwara Sri Sisganj Sahib in Delhi. He further said that AAP has its eyes on Punjab polls next year but how can it explain to the people of Punjab it’s backstabbing them on crucial SYl issue.
The Deputy Chief Minister informed that the amount of development carried out by present Government and the rapid pace of all round progress remain unparalleled in the history of the country.
Earlier in her address Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal exhorted the people to make a firm pledge for foiling the nefarious designs of anti- Punjab forces who were hell-bent upon ruining the State.
Cabinet Ministers Daljeet Singh Cheema, Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Sikander Singh Maluka, Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and several MlAs were present in the function.