File photo of former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh
Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Captain Amarinder Singh has warned of a law and order situation if the state's water is given to Haryana.
Captain Amarinder took strong exception to the statement issued by Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday assuring Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that the central government would prepare a roadmap within 45 days for finding a solution to the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and other inter-state issues with Punjab.
Speaking at a press conference, he warned the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the Akali-BJP government in the state against robbing Punjab of its waters. "For God's sake please don't open this Pandora's box as it has the potential of turning Punjab into a tinderbox," he said.
The Captain alleged that the ruling Akali Dal government was badly cornered on the issue of its involvement in the multi-crore drug scandal and the Enforcement Directorate had already got clinching evidence. "Now, in order to save their skin they were ready to reach a compromise and accept the terms and conditions about the SYL which are grossly against Punjab," he added.
"Come what may, today we warn Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti not to fiddle with fire lest it would spiral out of everybody's control," he said, while warning of a mass uprising and agitation all over Punjab whose consequences shall be the responsibility of both the central and the state governments.
Captain Amarinder said that without caring about the political consequences and risking his government, he had enacted the Punjab Termination of Water Agreement Act 2004 to save Punjab's waters.