INLD to meet Rajnath separately today
CHANDIGARH Peeved over the alleged indifference of the BJP government on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), the principal opposition party in Haryana, has said it would call on Union home minister Rajnath Singh separately, rather than joining the all-party delegation going to meet him on the issue on Friday.
Talking to newspersons here on Thursday, INLD leader Abhay Chautala reiterated his surprise over the failure of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the SYL issue, despite making an announcement in this ragard over four months ago. It seemed Modi and Khattar did not want to resolve the issue, he said.
“It was on November 19 last that Khattar had called an allparty meet on the issue of SYL Canal following which an allparty delegation called on the President to urge him to get the Supreme Court verdict on SYL canal, which was in favour of Haryana, implemented,” he said while adding that it was also decided then to call on Modi.
“Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had called on Modi within a few days of becoming CM, while Khattar had failed to get time from the PM on the issue for over four months,” he said.
He added that it was also not understood why Khattar was taking a delegation to the Union home minister and not to Union water resources minister on the issue.
Abhay also highlighted the INLD “struggle” for the construction of the SYL Canal and alleged that the Khattar government was indifferent on the issue. “That’s why the INLD wil not go along with Khattar-led all-party delegation but meet Rajnath Singh separately on Friday,” he added.
Notably, Punjab and Haryana are locked in a dispute over the sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters for the past over five decades, as successive Punjab governments have refused to give water with Haryana.
The BJP government is indifferent on the issue. That’s why the INLD will not go along with Khattarled allparty delegation but meet Rajnath Singh separately. ABHAY CHAUTALA, senior INLD leader