Holding both Congress and SAD responsible for the adverse opinion against Punjab by Supreme Court on SYL Canal issue, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today declared that party would lay an indefinite “Morcha” at Kapoor Village (Origin of SYL Canal) from tomorrow (November 11).Addressing a Press Conference here today AAP leaders including Gurpreet Singh Waraich, Sanjay Singh, Jarnail Singh, HS Phoolka, Himmat Singh Shergil, Kanwar Sandhu, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Gulshan Chhabra, Col (Retd.) CD Kamboj and Dr Balbir Singh Saini said after formation of Government in Punjab, AAP would not allow to implement the Supreme Court’s opinion in Punjab.“Congress and SAD always kept the interests of Punjab at stake to grab power and it was Congress which laid the foundation stone of SYL Canal and SAD carried forward it by beginning construction of the canal”, AAP leaders said.
Terming the resignation of PPCC Chief Captain Amarinder Singh as MP as “Political Drama”, AAP leaders demanded that if Captain is serious on the issue, he must resign from the Congress and even all Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from Punjab should also submit their resignations on the issue of SYL,Waraich said that Akalis must scrap their political ties with BJP, when took anti-Punjab stand in the Supreme Court and Harsimrat Badal should resign from the Modi Government. Congress and SAD enacting drama on the SYL issues, as these parties were squarely responsible for the fate of Punjab on the SYL issue, Waraich said adding that there was no need for the Central Government to have sought an opinion on the subject, but in any case now that that has been done, it is the bounden duty of the Central Government to ensure that the right of Punjab over its waters is protected.
Whatever is the opinion of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, it is not binding on Punjab and it does not automatically invalidate the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, which remains valid, said senior AAP leader and Supreme Court Loywer HS Phoolka.Unveiling history of the controversial SYL issue, Phoolka revealed that History is evidence of the fact that the water crisis of Punjab is a creation of the the then India Gandhi led Congress Government and SAD was also hand in glove with the Congress to keep interests of Punjab’s farmers at stake.During emergency in 1976, Mrs Indira Gandhi passed an order according to which Punjab was denied of its rights on its own river’s water, Phoolka said adding that a notification was passed on 24th March 1976 by the Central Government sanctioning this injustice.
After the change of Government this order of Indira Gandhi was challenged by the Punjab Government in the Supreme Court, but when Indira Gandhi returned to power and Punjab also had a Congress led Government, Indira Gandhi pressurized the Chief Minister Darbara Singh to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court. In 1982 a compromise was reached and the SYL accord was signed in which again Punjab’s Interest was negated, AAP leaders revealed.As SAD is alliance partner in Modi’s led NDA Government, Badal must use his influence in the Central Government to protect the interests of Punjab, or SAD should severe its political ties with BJP, which has exposed on its anti-Punjab stand.“If Badal is really serious on the interests of Punjab, who don’t SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal resign from the Modi’s Cabinet in protest against BJP’s anti-Punjab stand on the SYL issue”, AAP leaders said.