SYL canal: INLD calls for statewide bandh on Aug 18

ABHAY THREATENS TO STALL COMING ASSEMBLY SESSION IF THE GOVT DOES NOT GIVE ‘SATISFACTORY ASSURANCE’ ON CANAL CONSTRUCTION

BHIWANI: Addressing the final rally of the ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) here on Tuesday, leader of opposition in Haryana assembly Abhay Chautala threatened to obstruct the upcoming Vidhan Sabha session if the government does not give a satisfactory assurance on the construction of the Sutlej-yamuna Link (SYL ) Canal.

He also gave a call for a statewide bandh on August 18 in support of farmers’ cause and maintained business communities in the state have already lent their support to him in taking part in the bandh. “Such pressures would be applied again and again till the government at the Centre and in the state wake up to implement the Supreme Court verdict and construct the SYL canal. If a delegation of state BJP leaders goes to meet the central leadership, I am willing to join them to prove that SYL issue is not about politics,” he said.

Abhay said that every major step in the construction of the canal was taken either by Devi Lal or Om Prakash Chautala, both former CMS from the INLD. “They gave Rs 1 crore to Punjab to begin the work on the canal and oversaw the case in the courts and pleaded properly to get a favorable verdict. On the other hand, former CM Bansi Lal betrayed the people of Bhiwani who would be the earliest beneficiaries of the canal,” he said.

He said the INLD-BSP alliance will get stronger with each passing day and will sweep the next assembly elections. He also predicted the victory of the Third Front under Mayawati in Lok Sabha elections.

BSP state president Prakash Bharati said their alliance will stand rock solid and there will be no dispute over seat sharing as “both their parties stand for the welfare of the people.”

Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala slammed CM Manohar Lal Khattar for mismanaging the “meager water” that is at the command of Haryana and giving it away to Delhi rather than taking care of drinking water needs of the state.

“The CM’S claims of making water available in Loharu and other tail-end areas have fallen flat on ground. People are forced to live without this basic facility in Haryana under this government,” Dushyant said.

The INLD and BSP activists later symbolically courted arrest.