In a historic move, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal declaring that "the SYL canal will not be allowed to be constructed at any cost and under any circumstances."Moving the Resolution, the Chief Minister declared in the most emphatic and categorical terms that he "would rather make the supreme sacrifice than allow the SYL canal to be built as it deprives the people of Punjab of their legitimate rights over their river waters, in brazen defiance of the nationally and internationally accepted Riparian Principle."Committing his party and government to the strongest measures needed in order to protect the interests of the people of Punjab, Mr. Badal appealed to Punjabis to prepare themselves for tough battles ahead for the purpose.
The Resolution which appeared to have come in the wake of the Supreme Court order of yesterday asking the state to maintain status quo on the process of resumption of SYL lands by the original owners of the concerned lands spoke of the long trail of struggles and sacrifices by the people of Punjab on the river water issue.Mr. Badal was in his element and minced no words while declaring that he would "protect and safeguard with all the might at his disposal the river waters of the state. We will not accept under any circumstances any decision coming from any quarters which seeks to deprive our people of their legitimate rights over Punjab's river waters by violating the nationally and internationally accepted Riparian Principle," roared Mr. Badal.Tracing the history of long struggles waged by his party, the SAD, and Punjabis in general, Mr. Badal said he and the SAD-BJP government had neither accepted in the past nor would accept now nor ever in future any decision taken at any level to take away our vital river waters from Punjab.The Chief Minister said that there was a wide consensus that Punjab did not have even a single drop of water to spare for any other state. In view of that, there never had been any need nor was there one now to construct the SYL canal. "Neither is it even possible to do so. I wish to state in most unequivocal terms that we will not allow this canal to be constructed at any cost," declared a visibly moved Chief Minister.