Haryana CM not serious on taking along oppn on SYL issue: INLD

The opposition INLD today attacked Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for not taking with him an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister on the SYL canal issue, saying he is not showing seriousness on the critical matter.
"The Chief Minister had, earlier, called an all-party meeting in which it was decided that the opposition parties would accompany him when he goes to meet the prime minister to take up the Satluj-Yamuna-Link (SYL) canal issue.
"But, when Khattar met the PM two days ago, he did not took the opposition along. The chief minister is not showing enough seriousness on this critical issue," state chief of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Ashok Arora told reporters at a press conference here.

It was decided that a delegation, comprising members of the ruling BJP and the opposition parties, would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request him that the Centre should complete the SYL canal so that Haryana gets its rightful share of water, he said.
"The apex court had ruled in favour of Haryana and the Centre must immediately take up the work to finish the construction of the SYL canal, which is lifeline for Haryana. We wanted the chief minister, with the opposition's support, should put pressure on the Centre," Arora said.
However, he said, we have our doubts if the CM raised the SYL canal issue at all when he met the prime minister.

"In fact, we think that he might have raised the issue of some of his own MLAs who were unhappy with their government in Haryana," he alleged.

Arora said that by not trusting the opposition, the chief minister had insulted the people of the state.
"He is weakening Haryana's cause by such action," he alleged and said that the INLD will continue its fight to get the water in SYL canal from Punjab.
The INLD recently marched towards Punjab to undertake the digging work of the canal, he said, adding that we might have been arrested by Punjab police, but we are fighting for our rights.

Apart from this, our party workers have been sitting on an indefinite 'dharna' at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the SYL issue, he added.
Yesterday, Khattar had accused the opposition parties of indulging in "cheap political gimmicks" on the SYL issue and expressed confidence that the state would get its due share of water.
"Earlier, the opposition parties criticised me for not meeting the prime minister on vital matters like SYL canal, GST and farmers' issues. Now I have discussed all these issues with the PM but they are criticising me for not taking them along," the CM had said in Faridabad yesterday.

Meanwhile, hitting out at the BJP government in Haryana on other issues, the INLD leader said that there was a virtual blackout in several parts of the state as power cuts ranging between 8 and 14 hours were imposed daily. People at many places are also facing acute shortage of water.
"The plight of the common people is not moving this government. The ruling outfit is busy with one or the other celebrations, be it golden jubilee celebrations, organising various festival, including youth fesitval and other such events," he said.