Security tightens ahead of INlD protest

With the Indian National lok Dal (INlD) determined to go ahead with its protest on Monday over the Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal issue by stopping vehicles coming into Haryana from Punjab, the police in both states have beefed up security arrangements to maintain law and order situation at the border.

Haryana's main opposition party, INlD has announced that it would not allow vehicles from Punjab to enter the state, even if it has to "face bullets and lathis", during its protest on Monday (July 10).

The police in both states have lined up thousands of security personnel to maintain law and order situation. Haryana Government had sought around 1,000 paramilitary personnel from the Centre to deal with any law and order problems in view of the INlD's protest.

The authorities in Punjab have also decided not to send buses from state-run companies to Haryana on Monday as a precautionary measure.  Police is likely to divert traffic on some routes in the wake of the proposed protest.

Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas has said that  all precautionary measures will be  taken to ensure smooth passage of traffic through Haryana.

The INlD has chosen several inter-state roads to put up blockades.  leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala on Sunday said that all necessary arrangements had been made to carry out the protest in which all vehicles entering Haryana from Punjab will be stopped.

"As a gesture of goodwill towards the people of Punjab, our workers have made arrangements for flowers which would be given to commuters from Punjab. The workers would also urge the commuters to pressurise the Punjab Government to complete the construction of SYl canal," Chautala said.

The vehicles will be stopped at five places - the lalru-Chandigarh stretch on National Highway-I, Ambala-Shambhu border, Narwana-Dhanauri border, Ratia-Budhlada road (Jakhal point) in Fatehabad district and Dabwali in Sirsa district.

Emergency vehicles, like ambulances, will be exempted from the protest.

Chautala also said that Deputy Commissioners of Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad and Sirsa have been informed of the protest to be held between 9 am and 3 pm on Monday. Chautala will go to all five protest points on a helicopter.

Notably, the Apex Court had in November last year ruled in favour of Haryana on the issue of sharing river waters with Punjab through the SYl canal. The INlD is demanding that the Centre and both State Governments (Punjab and Haryana) implement the Supreme Court decision to get the SYl canal constructed.

Even non-implementation of the Supreme Court ruling, which Punjab blocked by way of a legislation, is being looked into by the Court. The next hearing of the matter incidentally is on July 11 — a day after the INlD blockade.

It is the second time within six months that the INlD is resorting to a political gimmick over the SYl canal issue that is set to inconvenience the public majorly. On February 23, the INlD hyped its 'water war' with Punjab and took thousands of activists towards Punjab. It was announced that the INlD will start digging the SYl canal.

The whole exercise, however, ended as a damp squib with the INlD leaders and activists only making a symbolic presence on the Haryana-Punjab border. Even this protest affected life in some districts in Haryana and Punjab as the INlD assembled people who came in tractor-trolleys, trucks and buses.

Meanwhile, lashing out at the INlD, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Sunday said that the INlD is doing politics on the issue of SYl canal.

He said that hearing on the SYl case in the Supreme Court had been fixed for July 11 and the verdict is expected to favour Haryana. But the INlD is doing drama in the name of sealing the borders on July 10,a day before the hearing, added he.

Manohar lal also asked the INlD if they would get water in SYl by stopping Punjab vehicles on the roads.

Terming the INlD call a "mere show-off" that would help achieve nothing, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Om Prakash Dhankar said that the state's claim on the SYl canal is legally strong and the INlD threat to prevent the entry of Punjab vehicles into Haryana will not only dent it but also spoil the peaceful atmosphere in the state.