Four days before the launch of their separate outfits, former INLD leader Ajay Chautala’s son and Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) chief Digvijay on Wednesday took a veiled dig at his uncle Abhay Singh Chautala, saying holding public meetings in Haryana will not help get SYL canal waters for the state.
Indian National Lok Dal, Haryana's main opposition had on December 1 began a 'Jan Adhikar Yatra' from Kurukshetra on various issues including the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
“Holding public meetings and rallies across the state will not help the state get SYL waters," said Digvijay while talking to the mediapersons in Karnal, where he met supporters ahead of launch of separate outfit on December 9 at Jind by the Ajay Chautala's camp.
“It has been decided that once our party is formed, we will move the Supreme Court by becoming a party (on SYL issue) like people approach the court on other issues," said Digvijay, the grandson of INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala.
On 'Jan Adhikar Yatra' started by the INLD under Abhay's leadership, Digvijay said, “Leader of opposition (Abhay) is doing this, let him continue with it, that is his decision. But I believe that the fight on SYL has to be fought either by pursuing the issue with the Centre or moving the Apex Court or by convincing the Punjab government (asking it to give Haryana's share). Holding rallies in Haryana is not going to get us SYL waters," he added.
Addressing a public meeting in Rewari on Wednesday, INLD senior leader Abhay Chautala reiterated that all the legal hurdles have been removed in giving Haryana its share of river water through the SYL canal, but the BJP government at the Centre and Haryana is finding new excuses to deprive the farmers of the state of their legitimate rights".
The SYL canal is vital to the existence and sustenance of Haryana, and in its absence, the state is facing a catastrophic future since it was facing the threat of parched lands by also losing groundwater in the absence of river water, he added.
After the 'Jan Adhikar Yatra' started from Jyotisar at Kurukshetra, Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala gave a clarion call to the people of Haryana to launch a decisive struggle on the SYL issue.
In the past also, the INLD had held several protests including ‘Haryana Bandh’, ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’, blocked the national highway near Ambala and four other highways in the state and another protest at Haryana-Punjab border to demand construction of SYL canal.