Countering SAD’s claims that the controversial Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) canal was started by the Congress, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said it was Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his then Haryana counterpart Chaudhry Devi lal who had started the process of constructing SYl canal and not the Congress.
“This was recorded in the proceedings of Haryana Vidhan Sabha and for anybody to see,” claimed the former Chief Minister.
He said Badal and Devi lal had reached an agreement that Haryana would pay Rs5 crore to Punjab for the construction of SYl. “Of this, Badal had accepted Rs2 crore…Haryana Government had made a statement to this affect in Haryana Vidhan Sabha and it is very much on record,” he added.
Capt Amarinder, talking to reporters along the sidelines of his ‘Halqe vich Captain’ programme, said the Akalis had no moral authority or locus standi on the issue to blame the Congress.
He pointed out the Congress had saved the waters by bringing in the Termination of Agreements Act and it would do it once again after forming the Government in 2017.
Strongly rebutting that he had questioned the Supreme Court’s authority by saying that the Congress legislators and the MPs would resign in the event of Apex Court deciding against Punjab, he reiterated he and his party had all the respect for the Supreme Court its decisions. “The very fact that he had announced to resign along with the legislators is in deference, and not in defiance, of the court verdict,” he added.
“I am only saying and reiterating that in case the SC decides against Punjab, we have no option but to resign and go to people and seek fresh mandate,” he said, while adding, “Since the Congress is neither in the Government nor has adequate numbers hence resignation was the only option”.
He clarified that when the party would form the Government, it would be in a position to legislate, like it did in 2004, by bringing in Punjab Termination of Agreements Act. “And there is nothing wrong in using legislative and constitutional means to safeguard our waters if we don’t get relief from the courts”, he pointed out, while clarifying, “the resignations will be a step towards seeking mandate and majority in the Vidhan Sabha to bring in and pass the law”.
Replying a query on AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, Capt Amarinder said there was nothing wrong or unusual in the lok Sabha Speaker suspending him from the lok Sabha and setting up a committee to inquire about what he did.
“What Mann had done is a serious breach of security as he had revealed the location and the pathway leading towards the gate from where the MPs enter…Instead of crying wolf, Mann and AAP should introspect,” he said.
At the same time, he made it clear that winability will be the only criterion for nominating the candidates for the assembly elections. “The same criterion will be applied to the sitting MlAs…If we find some sitting MlAs are not in a position to win, even they will be replaced,” he said.