Har Assembly passes resolution condemning Kejriwal's statement on SYL

Haryana assembly today unanimously passed a resolution condemning the reported statement of AAP Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that he was against the construction of the SYL canal as Punjab has no spare water.
Launching a scathing attack on Kejriwal, Haryana's Agriculture and Irrigation Minister O P Dhankar termed the AAP Convener's statement as "unfortunate".
"It runs counter to the established constitutional norms and is against Haryana's interests," said Dhankar, who moved the resolution verbally, which was seconded by ruling BJP's Gian Chand Gupta.
Opposition INLD MLA Parminder Dhull questioned Kejriwal's locus standi in issuing statements on the contentious issue, over which neighbouring Punjab and Haryana have been at loggerheads for years.

Dhull said that nobody has given Kejriwal the right to speak on bilateral issue, as he pressed that the condemnation resolution against Kejriwal be passed.
Later, it was passed unanimously.

Earlier, Dhankar said that during his one day visit to Punjab yesterday, Kejriwal had stated that he was against the construction of the SYL since Punjab did not have surplus water to spare.
Talking to reporters outside the assembly, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also launched a blistering attack on Kejriwal, suggesting his Delhi counterpart to remain neutral on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue and choose his words carefully.

Khattar said that like Haryana, Delhi was also affected by the similar issue.
He said that Delhi also did not have its own sources of water and instead, sourced it from other states.
"Therefore, the carrier of water should remain safe. As Haryana's water carrier should remain safe in Punjab, Delhi's water carrier should also be safe," he said.
Replying to another question, he said that land on which SYL was constructed has not yet been released and no Bill of any kind has been passed in Haryana.
Khattar said the Bill on SYL issue has been recently passed only in Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

"It would not be considered to have been passed until the Governor signs the Bill. All this did not have any bearing as this was a legal battle presently being fought out in the Supreme Court," he said.
(REOPENS DES 56)
Outside the assembly, Dhankar was more unsparing in his attack on Kejriwal, and told reporters that it was time that people of Delhi should question him whether he was standing for the "rights" of the people of Delhi or had spared himself to take up Punjab's cause.
Dhankar said during the recent Jat quota agitation normal water supply to Delhi was disrupted for few days as the arsonists had damaged Munak canal, so Kejriwal should think twice how Haryana will meet water requirements for Delhi if its Chief Minister talks contrary to the State's interests, which would ultimately "affect" the national capital as well.

"If we don't get enough water and rightful share of our water from Punjab, won't it affect Delhi too," he said asking Kejriwal to clarify his stand.
When asked that some farmers in Punjab whose land was acquired for construction of SYL canal have started levelling the land for cultivation after Punjab Assembly passed a Bill to return it from whom it was acquired, Dhankar said they will seek Centre's intervention on the issue.
Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij also condemned the statement of Kejriwal, saying he should understand what would happen to Delhi, if Haryana too behaves like Punjab with Delhi on its water share.

He claimed that Delhi has nothing of its own including electricity, water, milk, fruits and vegetables.
"This kind of small mindedness is not in the interest of the country. For us vote bank comes later, country comes first," Vij asserted.
He said that BJP would not let the federal structure wear out, "and for this we are prepared to go to any extent."
Leader of Opposition and senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala also launched an attack on Kejriwal, saying he was trying to derive political mileage out of the issue.
Chautala also attacked the BJP, claiming they were not realising the seriousness of the issue.

"BJP Ministers, MPs, MLAs should resign (on SYL issue) and our party will follow..The Haryana Chief Minister should take all along and meet the Prime Minister at the earliest," Chautala told reporters.