Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today told Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh to put his money where his mouth is and tell Punjabis why he had never gone to jail on the SYL canal issue."You seem to have joined the despicable Arvind Kejriwal team in lying and deceiving Punjabis. You also seem to be suffering from amnesia. You forgot to tell Punjabis that it was you who invited Indira Gandhi to Kapoori to start digging of the SYL canal.You also forgot to tell them that it was Sardar Badal who courted arrest on the SYL issue. You have not courted arrest on any people issue even once. Whom are you trying to fool?"Stating that Amarinder was trying to cover up his tracks by making misleading statements on the SYL issue, Mr Badal said "you should however have some shame for covering up the evil deeds of Indira Gandhi. It is obvious you are doing this solely to please her grand son Rahul Gandhi and be anointed the party's chief ministerial candidate".
Speaking about Amarinder's lies, Mr Badal said "we have already done what you are promising to do. It is obvious you don't read the newspapers as you rarely stay in Punjab. You are promising to stop construction of the SYL canal when the SAD-BJP has already done that. We have even transferred the land on which the canal stands back to the farmers. What more can you do?"The SAD president said Amarinder could not sidestep his responsibility of backstabbing his constituents as well as the people of Punjab. "You were MP of Patiala when Indira Gandhi came to Kapoori village in your constituency to start work on the SYL. Instead of protesting against this or even sitting at home, you took out advertisements welcoming the move and even stood besides her when she initiated the digging of the canal".
Asking Amarinder not to try to fool the people, he said his role in construction of the canal as well as the role of his party was well documented. "Your party gave fifty percent of Punjab's water to Rajasthan. Following reorganisation of the State another fifty per cent was earmarked for Haryana. Indira Gandhi forced then Congress chief minister Darbara Singh to agree to construction of the canal. If anyone is complicit in the conspiracy to turn Punjab into a desert it is you and your party. Instead of atoning for your sins against Punjabis, you are trying to befool them with lies and deceit". Asserting that this would indeed be Amarinder's last election, the SAD president said "the shelf life of your lies is over. People realise you have no commitment for Punjab or Punjabis. You have in fact sold the interests of Punjab to Rajasthan and Haryana. Punjabis will never forgive you for this.They will never trust you again".