In the backdrop of war of words between Punjab and Haryana over water issue, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh today said that his state does not have a single drop of water to spare for others.
"Where is the water?" he said when asked about his opposition to the Sutlej Yamuna link (SYL) canal.
The rivers in Punjab have virtually dried up and the flow of water since the days of Eradi Tribunal had also gone substantially down, the Congress MP from Amritsar said.
The PCC president, after addressing a meeting of the party's block presidents across the state, said, "It is a grave injustice with Punjab that its water was being given to other states when it did not have enough for its own needs."
"Nobody talks about Yamuna's water which Haryana is consuming? Why not include Yamuna water also in the issue?" the former Chief Minister asked.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had yesterday said his state is demanding passage for its own share of water through the SYL and not asking for Punjab's share of water.
"The water belongs to Haryana and the state would get it," Khattar had said here.
Days after the Supreme Court began its hearing on the SYL Canal dispute on Presidential Reference, Khattar expressed hope the verdict would be in favour of Haryana.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has also said the state "does not have a single drop of water to spare" and will ensure there is no compromise on "inalienable" rights under the Riparian Principle.
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Congress General Secretary Incharge Punjab Shakeel Ahmad, Campaign Committee chairperson Ambika Soni, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, secretary incharge Punjab Harish Chaudhary and senior vice president of the PCC Lal Singh also addressed the meeting.
Amarinder Singh told the block presidents that they were the real foot soldiers of the party and the representatives of Congress President Sonia Gandhi at the grassroots level.
"You will be given all the powers because the party will be strong only when you will be strong," he told them.
Amarinder said that no MLA will be appointed as chairman of various boards and corporations (if Congress forms government in Punjab after 2017 polls) as these will be "reserved for prominent party leaders including the block presidents."
He announced that the next meeting of the block presidents will be held on May 15.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambika Soni told all the block presidents to devote all their energies on winning the 2017 Assembly election in Punjab.
Shakeel Ahmad took a dig at the "double standards" of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had never bothered to visit the Pathankot martyrs' family in his own state of Haryana, but had visited the two martyrs in Gurdaspur in Punjab "purely with an eye on the elections," he said.
