Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to go beyond token symbolism on the crucial SYL issue.
"Your job does not end merely in getting a unanimous resolution passed in the Vidhan Sabha and passing it off to the Governor in an apparent bid to shrug off your own responsibilities towards Punjab," Amarinder said and asked Badal to do something sincere and serious which must prove that his intentions are truly genuine.
The PPCC president said since the ball was in the Centre's court the Governor may hardly act of his own.
"Given the Centre's intentions and the recent stand in the Supreme Court, it is quite unlikely that the Governor will appreciate the merit in the bill passed unanimously in the Vidhan Sabha", he pointed out in a statement here.
"It would be better if Badal leads an all party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and tells him in frank and forthright terms that Punjab cannot and will not spare even a single drop of its precious water for anyone", he suggested, while promising all support and cooperation from his party on the issue.
Amarinder said, Badal should not hesitate in staging protest dharna outside the Prime Minister's office and assured his party's participation in case he decides to do that.
The Punjab Congress chief observed, the best course still available with Badal to save Punjab waters, which he would "never adopt" though, was to pressurise the Centre by withdrawing from the NDA government at the Centre for its "betrayal and backstabbing" Punjab over its waters.
"But the BJP knows Badal's weakness too well and understands that he was resorting to mere symbolism and that he will never make his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal to resign from the Union cabinet to show his seriousness and solidarity with Punjab", he remarked.
