As Punjab increases river water supply to Rajasthan, Akali Dal to stage protest
Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 May, 2023 10:42 AM
Chandigarh, May 23 (IANS) With Punjab increasing river water supply to Rajasthan by 500 cusecs, the Shiromani Akali Dal said it would stage a protest in Abohar on Wednesday against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's "surrender on river waters".
Party President Sukhbir Badal will lead the protest that will begin at 11 a.m.
The reports quoted Rajasthan leader Hanuman Beniwal claiming that a commitment to this effect had been made by Mann during their meeting at Bathinda on Sunday.
Badal said that the Akali Dal, as the guardian of the interests of Punjab, would not remain a mute witness to AAP government's surrender and loot of Punjab's river waters through "a secret and arbitrary sell out" to Rajasthan.
"We asked the Punjab CM to clarify his position on the reports but although more than a day has passed since the reports appeared, he still chooses to hide behind silence in order to quietly go ahead with the surrender. We won't allow this to happen," he said.
Badal said this latest "surrender" by the AAP government was merely a continuation of a long history of betrayals of Punjab's and Panth's vital interests on every religious, economic, territorial and river waters issues.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrival has always led in this loot of Punjab's river waters to both Haryana and Delhi and Mann has always quietly and meekly acquiesced in this loot, he alleged.
"Clearly under instructions from his boss Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann has now agreed to sign away more river water to Rajasthan, dealing a death blow to the already beleaguered farmers of Punjab and to the overall economy of the state.
"Mann had earlier virtually surrendered Punjab's legitimate claim on Chandigarh by begging for space in its own capital to set up a separate legislative assembly instead of asking Haryana to shift out of here, Badal added.
The police said that a reward of Rs 25,000 was also declared for any information leading to his arrest. The accused has been identified as Salman alias Suleman, a resident of Jahangirpuri.
On February 7, the court took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against Poonawala and posted the matter for its scrutiny on February 21. On January 24, the police had filed the charge sheet in the case which contains over 6,000 pages and the court had extended Poonawala's custody for 14 days.
In a statement here, the Chief Minister apprised the Governor that he has came to know about his letter through the media, and all issues raised by Governor are the issues related to jurisdiction of the state. And for these issues, he is accountable to the 3 crore Punjabis who have elected him with a whopping mandate, Mann stressed.
India’s government on Friday withdrew its appeal to citizens to mark Valentine’s Day next week not as a celebration of romance but as “Cow Hug Day” to better promote Hindu values. The appeal had attracted widespread criticism from political rivals and on social media.
In an appeal, the Chief Minister said the firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotakpura in 2015 along with the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari had bruised the psyche of every human being especially the Sikh community.
With these arrests, the police have also solved 30 cases of snatching and theft and recovered 23 snatched mobile phones, several Aadhaar cards, pan cards, debit cards, four two-wheelers and metro cards from the possession of the gang members.
