Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, March 12 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to explain his stand on the SYL canal immediately even as it advised political opportunists like Sukhpal Khaira not to make wild allegations which were contrary to facts.
In a statement here, former minister and SAD general secretary Maheshinder Grewal said AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal should immediately tell the people of Punjab whether he supported the recent historic resolution passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to denotify the SYL land acquisition order. He said this was important as the resolution, which would lead to the introduction of a bill in the Vidhan Sabha to similar effect, would pave the way for handing back the land on which the canal is partially constructed back to the farmers.
“Kejriwal should tell Punjabis immediately whether he was standing with them in their hour of grave need or he would side with his parent State being a Haryanvi”. Mr Grewal added it was strange that Kejriwal had not expressed solidarity with Punjabis by welcoming the historic resolution aimed at saving the waters of Punjab for all times to come.
Speaking about Khaira’s comments on the Badal family, Mr Grewal said the Badal family did not need to get a clean chit from the likes of an opportunistic upstart like Khaira who had been repeatedly rejected by the people. He said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had always batted for saving the State’s river waters and was continuing with this mission even now. “It was Badal Sahab’s government which moved a suit in the Supreme Court in 1979 against the provision under which river waters were distributed between Punjab and Haryana following reorganisation of Punjab in1966”. He said even now it was Badal Sahab who had emerged as the champion of Punjab’s river waters by moving a resolution to denotify the land acquisition order under which land was acquired to build the canal.
Mr Grewal said Kejriwal should clarify whether he stood with Punjab against Haryana and would join Punjabis in not allowing a drop of water to go to Haryana. “Kejriwal should make his stand clear on this issue or else people would rightly think that he is also indulging in double speak like the Congress party”, the akali leader added.
