After being targeted by the Opposition for his consent to campaign for BJP in the ensuing Punjab Assembly polls despite Punjab BJP being against giving Sutlej Yamnua link canal water to Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Friday hit back at the Opposition saying that the SYl canal is not a poll issue and Haryana has presented its case by clarifying its stand.
“The election campaign in Punjab is the party’s prerogative and whoever is entrusted with this responsibility would fulfil it with complete honesty and hard work,” said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons after inaugurating crafts exhibition as part of the 21st National Youth Festival-2017 in Rohtak.
Notably, all political leaders in Haryana are not keen to campaign for their respective parties in Punjab following Punjab’s refusal to give SYl water to Haryana.
Khattar has come under attack from the Opposition, Congress and INlD, for giving his consent to campaign for the Punjab BJP in the ensuing assembly polls.
Former Chief Minister and Congress senior leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already made it clear that he will not campaign for party candidates until party’s Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder does not assure Haryana of SYl canal water.
Hooda has also criticised the Chief Minister and other BJP leaders who have decided to campaign for their party candidates in Punjab.
The INlD, on the other hand, has submitted a memorandum to Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, demanding dismissal of the Khattar led BJP Government for its alleged failure in performing the constitutional responsibility and failing to bring SYl waters to the State after Supreme Court’s ruling in Haryana’s favour.
Haryana INlD’s chief Ashok Arora has stated that the INlD will not campaign for former alliance partners SAD and BJP in Punjab Assembly polls as both parties have taken anti-Haryana stand on SYl issue.
leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala has criticised the Chief Minister for supporting his party in Punjab, which has refused to give water share of Haryana.
The INlD has also announced to start digging the SYl canal if the Centre fails to do so by February 23. The SAD had fought the 2014 Haryana assembly elections in alliance with the INlD but the latter had snapped ties with SAD last year over SYl issue.
The INlD also had an alliance with the BJP in Haryana but the alliance ended after their dismal performance in lok Sabha polls 2009.
Meanwhile, Haryana’s BJP unit has geared up for Assembly polls in Punjab, where the party has alliance with ruling SAD. Haryana Minister Capt Abhimanyu is joint in-charge of the Punjab polls on behalf of the BJP.
After Supreme Court’s verdict on SYl canal in Haryana’s favour, the issue has
turned into a full-scale political war between the two neighbouring States.
The SAD-BJP led Punjab Government has already announced not to “allow a single drop of water” to be taken from the State. Also, Congress MP Capt Amaridner Singh and MlAs in Punjab had resigned after the SC decision on SYl canal.
Since reorganisation in 1966, several issues have remained unresolved between the two States including right over Chandigarh and a separate High Court, besides emotive issue of water sharing.