Don’t forget ‘sins’ of ‘ancestors’ before ‘shedding crocodile tears’: CM to oppn

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday hit back at opposition leaders for questioning his government on the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. He accused BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring of indulging in “theatricals” to mislead the people of the state on the issue. In a post on X, Mann slammed the opposition by asking if these leaders “carry some shame” when they leave home. He asked them not to forget the “sins” of their “ancestors” before “shedding crocodile tears” on the contentious SYL issue. For the sake of their vested interests, “selfish” political leaders had agreed, planned and executed the construction of this canal, he alleged.Mann said former Union minister Balram Jakhar, father of Sunil Jakhar, along with Captain Amarinder Singh had accompanied then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the groundbreaking ceremony of SYL canal at Kapoori village in Patiala. Former chief minister of Haryana, Devi Lal had also hailed his then Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal for allowing the survey for this canal, he said. “The hands of these leaders are drenched with this crime against the state and history will never forgive them for backstabbing Punjab,” he added.The opposition leaders have been attacking the Mann government over the SYL issue, accusing the AAP dispensation of failing to safeguard the state’s interest. Their criticism came following a Supreme Court directive on October 4, asking the Centre to conduct a survey of land in Punjab that was allocated for the construction of the canal’s portion in the state and make an estimate of the extent of work carried out. The Congress, BJP and SAD have held protests over the past few days, slamming the Mann dispensation over the river water sharing issue.Urging the opposition party leaders to come for an open debate on Punjab’s issues on November 1, Mann dared them to bring along the “papers of settlement” which their parents had signed for the sake of power. He said Sukhbir should bring papers of the Oberoi Hotel in Gurugram when he comes for the debate. It would give a clear picture to the people of the state on how they were betrayed in the name of making sacrifices, he said.The opposition leaders should not worry about river water as he, as a child, used to guard a water course in his village, claimed Mann. He claimed that during his childhood, his father used to assign him the duty of saving the waters in their fields. “Today, God has assigned me the task of protecting the Satluj,” he said. Punjab has no water to spare with any other state and its waters will be preserved by all means, Mann added.