Punjab's Water Woe: AAP, SAD and Congress Try to Steal the Show Over SYL Canal Row

The political slugfest over Satluj Yamuna Link Canal (SARYU) or SYL issue went up a notch on Friday after the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) planned to take out a protest march at Kapoori village in Punjb's Patiala district and SAD decided to meet President Pranab Mukherjee over the issue.

The AAP move came a day after the Supreme Court said that Punjab has no right to unilaterally terminate water-sharing agreements over the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal with Haryana and other neighbouring states.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Thursday quit the Lok Sabha and other party lawmakers resigned from the Punjab Assembly minutes following the Supreme Court verdict.

Though, the SC judgment is seen as a huge setback for the SAD-BJP alliance ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday tried to assuage the situation.

He said, "Punjab Cabinet has decided that we are not going to share Punjab’s water with any other state• We are going to meet President Pranab Mukherjee in this regard• Former prime minister Indira Gandhi distributed Punjab’s water between neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana• Now, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh is politicising the issue• Punjabis know that he is a double speaking person.""

Badal on Thursday said the resignation by Congress Chief Amarinder Singh and his party's MLAs on the Supreme Court's verdict on Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue was just a "drama".

Speaking on the issue, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said his party is fighting for Punjab's rights.

"This is not a political issue for us, this is a livelihood and economic issue. Hume sirf apna right chahiye, doosron ka kuch nahi maangte (We are fighting for our own right; We don't want anything from others).

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday tried to defend Punjab. She said, "For Punjab SYL is not just an emotive issue but a matter of survival as Punjab is an agrarian state.

Also read | Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal: Timeline of the Controversial Agreement