Virtually sailing in two boats with stakes in both Punjab and Haryana, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is riding safe on rough Satluj Yamuna link (SYl) canal waters.
Avoiding any move to step in troubled waters, BJP’s poll in-charge in Punjab and Union Minister Narinder Tomar wanted both the States, Punjab and Haryana, to resolve the decade-old contentious issue of SYl canal amicably and without Centre’s intervention.
“You see, water is a State subject and both Punjab and Haryana should resolve it through bilateral talks and there was no need for the Centre to intervene into it,” said Tomar, after the BJP’s meeting.
Tomar maintained that both the State Governments should sit together to solve the issue while virtually ruling the Centre’s intervention in the matter.
The saffron party is holding power in Punjab, in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, and also in Haryana, besides leading the NDA Government at the Centre.
Till date, the Punjab BJP has maintained a strategic silence over the issue that involves high stakes of both the governments in Punjab and Haryana, while describing the Supreme Court’s verdict as “unfortunate” and against Punjab.
On the other hand, the BJP-led Haryana Government has welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict in the matter paving way for the construction of the SYl canal.
Punjab Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal had openly maintained that the saffron brigade was very much part of all the decisions taken by the state cabinet on the SYl issue after SC decision including holding mega Punjabi gathering, meeting the President, among others.
The SAD and the Punjab Cabinet have already declared that it would not give even a single drop of water to any other State.
Meanwhile, the Akali Dal has decided to hold its core committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the
SYl issue which is currently at the centre stage of State politics.
SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has convened the meeting at the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence at 11 am, informed a senior SAD leader.
SAD core committee is likely to finalise the party’s strategy taking into account the November 16 special session of the State Assembly which has been convened in the wake of the Apex Court’s order on river waters which has gone against the State.
later, a meeting of Punjab Cabinet would also be held at 1 pm to discuss the strategy for the SYl contentious issue, which would be attended by the BJP ministers too.