PUNJAB, HARYANA SHOULD MAKE JOINT EFFORTS TO RESOLVE ISSUE: RAJNATH

UNION HOME MINISTER WAS REPLYING TO MEDIA QUERIES OVER CAPTAIN’S REMARKS

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday urged Punjab and Haryana for a concerted effort to resolve the contentious Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

Singh, while replying to a question on Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh’s statement that the construction of the canal to provide water to neighbouring Haryana could trigger a revival of militancy in the state, said the two states should undertake “joint efforts” to resolve the issue.

“They should try and find ways to solve the problem. At a recent meeting of the Northern Zonal Council, I had suggested the same and there was some kind of a consensus,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

The Punjab chief minister had on Monday warned: “Amarinder rahe na rahe (whether Amarinder is there or not), SYL will become a national issue if the final judgement goes against Punjab.”

The state would be “pushed back to the dark days of terrorism” if the solution to the dispute did not address its concerns, Singh had cautioned, adding that such a negative development could lead to a “major crisis”.

The Congress leader had also said he had requested Rajnath to start negotiations on SYL through the water resources department “in the interest of peace and stability.”