SYL canal dispute: 'Will gherao CM residence on October 10,' says SAD chief Sukhbir Badal
SYL canal dispute: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced that his party will protest at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence on October 10 amid a dispute over the SYL (Satluj Yamuna Link) Canal.
"Akali Dal has a clear stand that Punjab does not have any surplus water. Our case is going on in the Supreme Court, where the Punjab Government has taken the stand that we are ready to make a Canal in Punjab but our opponents are protesting. We will 'gherao' the CM residence on October 10. There are elections in Rajasthan and Haryana and to please them, CM Mann is taking this stand," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
"Bhagwant Mann should be ashamed whom the people of Punjab made the CM with such a majority," he further said.
Earlier on Saturday, Badal stated that a delegation from his party had arrived in Punjab to meet with Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to address the SYL Canal and the Aam Aadmi Party indulging in illegal mining in the state.
Badal went on to say that the Akali Dal will not allow the canal to be built even if CM Mann tries everything he has. We shall not allow a single drop of water to go to another state.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conduct a survey on a portion of land in Punjab designated for the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, in accordance with a 2002 court ruling.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Haryana seeking the execution of a top court judgement issued on January 15, 2002, ordering Punjab to build the canal.
"Whichever survey team the centre sends, we will not allow them to enter Punjab," Badal added.
Notably, the SYL agreement was made 42 years ago in 1981 between Punjab and Haryana, however, non-compliance escalated the disagreement between the two states. The SYL canal was to be built for effective water allocation, and the two states were obliged to build their segments inside their respective territories.
- ANI
