With neighbouring Punjab Government deciding to defy Supreme Court’s orders on Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal and refusing to send even a single drop of water to Haryana, the political parties in State on Thursday decided to meet President Pranab Mukerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request them to get the decision of the Supreme Court on SYl implemented soon so that state gets its legitimate share of water at the earliest.
Amid the political upheaval in Punjab and Haryana over the SYl issue, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Thursday held an all party meeting in an effort to bring together all opposition parties to stand united with the ruling BJP on the issue of SYl canal.
While the all party meeting could not reach a consensus on calling a special assembly session for discussing SYl issue, it has been decided that a delegation comprising representatives of all political parties would call on the President and Prime Minister urging them early implementation of SC’s decision on SYl canal completion.
The decision comes a day after Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against giving away any land for construction of the canal and resolving to make non-riparian states Rajasthan and Delhi to pay for using waters of Ravi and Beas. The SAD-BJP led Punjab Government has also announced not to “allow a single drop of water” to be taken from the State.
Following the SC’s directions last week, the emotive water-sharing issue of the Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal has heightened the mutual animosity between the neighbouring States of Punjab and Haryana.
During the meeting, the Opposition — the Congress and the INlD — pressed for convening a special Assembly Session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha on SYl issue. It also demanded strong steps by the BJP-led Haryana Government for completion of SYl canal at the earliest.
All political parties also condemned the decisions taken by the Punjab Government related to SYl canal.
While SAD lone legislator in the Haryana Assembly, Balkaur Singh kept away from the meeting, former Chief Minister MlA Bhupinder Singh Hooda, ClP leader Kiran Choudhary, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, INlD Haryana president Ashok Arora, INlD’s senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala, independent MlA Jai Parkash, Cabinet Ministers Anil Vij and Krishan lal Panwar, Advocate General of Haryana Baldev Raj Mahajan, senior bureaucrats attended the meeting.
Talking to reporters after holding the all-party meeting, the Chief Minister said, “We will try to seek time from the President and the Prime Minister today itself so that a delegation comprising representatives of all political parties could meet them at the earliest”.
Stating that a detailed discussion was held on the Supreme Court’s decision on the SYl issue and other developments that took place in Punjab after this decision, Manohar lal said that he is sure that the Central Government would soon get the decision of the Supreme Court implemented so that the parched tracts of the state get adequate water.
On being asked whether the State Government would convene a special session of Vidhan Sabha on the SYl issue, he said that for the time being, it has been decided to meet the President and the Prime Minister for the early implementation of the Supreme Court decision.
When asked whether the State Government would condemn the decision taken by Punjab Government after the SC’s verdict, the Chief Minister said that as the Apex Court has already announced its decision in favour of Haryana, the decision taken by the Punjab Cabinet or the resolution passed by its Vidhan Sabha has no meaning and they would be automatically treated as repealed.
Responding to the orders of the Punjab Government directing its officers not to obey any decision of the Central Government, the Chief Minister said, “India being a country which is run by its constitution, one could not perform such act which is against the interest of other State. All their decisions on this issue are against the constitution, he said.
He added all such decisions would be brought to the notice of the Centre. The Manohar lal Khattar Government has moved the SC seeking a status quo in SYl canal issue. The Apex Court is now likely to hear the matter on Monday.