Hitting back at the BJP and Congress on Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) issue, leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala on Tuesday said that both these parties have nothing to do with the interests of people of Haryana, thus, issuing baseless statements on INlD’s announcement to dig SYl canal on February 23.
Responding to the allegations of the BJP and Congress that INlD and Punjab’s ruling SAD are playing a fixed match on SYl issue, Chautala said, I had sent invitation letters to the leaders of these parties to join us on February 23 at Ambala for digging SYl.”
If the BJP and Congress leaders were in favour of interests of Haryana people, they would have come out in INlD’s support instead of issuing baseless statements and making SYl a political issue, said Chautala while talking to the mediapersons at Kaithal.
The INlD leader said that if any untoward incident takes place on February 23 at Ambala, Congress, BJP and Punjab Government would be held responsible for that.
“lakhs of INlD workers would gather at Ambala vegetable market and then move towards Punjab’s Kapuri village bordering Haryana for digging SYl canal. The party has made all preparations for the programme,” said Chautala.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who is out of jail on four weeks parole has also made an appeal to the INlD workers to gear up for SYl digging on February 23.
The INlD is not going against the law but ensuring that the people of Haryana gets their due water share from Punjab, said Chautala.
lashing out at former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who had termed INlD’s February 23 programme as political drama, Chautala said that the Hooda himself is doing drama and is not interested in bringing SYl waters to Haryana.
On the other hand, the ruling BJP in Haryana has also failed to safeguard the rights of Haryana on water sharing issue. The Chief Minister Manohar lal has done nothing on the SYl issue and could not even fix a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his help in this issue, alleged Chautala.
He also accused both the Congress and BJP of "doublespeak" over the issue asking central leadership of both parties to clarify their stand.
Meanwhile, Haryana Government has made an appeal to the people of the State to not be misled by INlD statements and to uphold the law.
The Cabinet Ministers also hit out at the INlD on the SYl issue. Haryana Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar and Minister of State for labour and Employment, Nayab Singh Saini, said that the Chautala and the Badal families are colluding to weaken the stand of Haryana regarding SYl canal in the Supreme Court.
The Ministers said that under the leadership of former Chief Minister, OP Chautala, who is serving 10-year jail term in teachers' recruitment scam, the INlD is vitiating the atmosphere of the state by inciting the people to undertake digging of the canal.
Chautala, who is presently on parole, is going around the state and inciting the people to undertake digging in the name of strengthening social ties, they added.
The Ministers further said that all facts in the matter are in favour of Haryana and the Supreme Court had directed Punjab to release water to Haryana. However, the INlD is hindering the process by inciting the people of the state to violate the law. If the INlD succeeds in its efforts, Punjab would get an opportunity to strengthen its stand in the Court by accusing Haryana of adopting unlawful methods. This would not be in the interests of the people of Haryana, they added.