Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday reiterated his strong opposition to the construction of Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) Canal and sharing of Punjab’s water with non-riparian States, saying he was as much opposed to the SYl at the time when it was started, as he is now.
He also took a dig at Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann for accusing Congress of playing politics on SYl. “Apparently he has no idea about the seriousness and intensity of the issue that is why he is saying like that”, he remarked, while telling him that in case the SYl is constructed Sangrur, the area he represents in the parliament, will be the worst hit.
Rubbishing Aam Aadmi Party’s disinformation campaign on the issue against him, Capt Amarinder said, he was opposed to the construction of the SYl right from day one when its foundation stone was laid down by the then Prime Minister Ms Indira Gandhi in 1982 and had also clarified it to her at that it would never be viable. “I don’t need any certificate from the aliens and outsiders to prove my unfailing commitment towards Punjab as the Punjabis know my credentials too well”, he asserted, while pointing out that it was he who had terminated all the water sharing agreements to save Punjab’s waters from being given to non-riparian States.