Charanjit Channi in Amritsar on Jawani Sambhal Yatra
Amritsar, November 11, 2016: Blasting the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for misleading the people, the Congress Legislature Party chief Mr Charanjit Singh Channi reminded him that it was the Akali Dal that had made the commitment under the Punjab Accord in 1985 to complete construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal.
Reaching the holy city today on last day of his Jawani Sambhal Yatra Channi said that “Mr Badal must explain as to why two notifications No.113/5/SYL and No 121/5/SYL dated February 20, 1978 were issued for the acquisition of land for this canal when he himself was the chief minister. Moreover, Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act was added to waive off Section 5(a) on grounds of urgency. The people of Punjab want to know as what was the urgency. Mr Badal should also tell the people of the statements made by his family friend and then Haryana Chief Minister Chaudhary Devi in the Assembly about him having agreed to lay the foundation of the SYL Canal. It is all matter of record from which Mr Badal can’t backtrack”, he added.
He reminded Mr Badal that it was part of his party manifesto to drop Section 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 but again, he only fooled the people on this issue. Setting the record straight, he said it was not Punjab that first went to the Supreme Court against the 1976 apportionment by the centre under Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966 but Haryana and Punjab had only followed suit.
He said the Akali Dal came into power first in 1967 and Mr Badal himself took over as the chief minister for the first time on March 27, 1970 and continued to rule the state till June 14, 1971. Did his party or he himself as the chief minister lodged any protest with the centre at that time against Sections 78-80 of the Punjab Re-reorganisation Act, 1966 under which then Prime Minister announced the award on apportionment of river waters between Punjab and Haryana in 1976?
“I challenge Mr Badal to produce entire record on the issue of river waters dispute beginning 1955. Let the people judge as to who are the guilty rather than making baseless allegations”, he said. Mr Channi said the CLP today adopted a resolution to meet President of India Sh. Pranab Mukherjee in November 16 next in the context of Supreme Court verdict in the context of Presidential Reference on Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004. The delegation would include all the MPs and MLAs.
Through another resolution, the CLP demanded immediate dismissal of the Badal government for having miserably failed to protect interests of Punjab in the Supreme Court. The CLP also cited apprehension about the polls being free and fair under the present dispensation in the state.
Channi also said that in the CLP meeting held today under his leadership, it was unanimously decided that the congress would seek time from the President Of India for convincing them on the present situation of the water scenario in Punjab. All the senior congress leadership and the legislatures will accompany to the President Of India.
Channi entered the city with his Jawani Sambhal Yatra on the fifth day today where the locals and the entire party rank and file accorded him with warm welcome. The yatra alongwith 2000 cyclists from Sri Chamkaur Sahib travelled more than 350 Km’s in five days criss crossing in more than 20 assembly constituencies. The motto of the Yatra was fight against drugs, unemployment and corruption. All these issues are related with the youth of Punjab. Earlier to this the yatra was undertaken from Sri Chamkaur Sahib to Sri Talwandi Sabo for seven days.