February 18, 2017: To counter the INLD's call to dig SYL, AISSF has called upon the people of Punjab to gather at village Devigarh to march towards Kapoori on February 23 to fill in SYL and stop its construction. Various Sikh and non Sikh organizations have shown support towards All India Sikh Student Federation. Organizations such as Punjab Sikh Council President Jathedar Mohan Singh Kartarpur, Shiromani Sant Khalsa International Foundation Chairman Sant Baba Pritpal Singh, Sehajdhari Sikh Federation President Doctor Paramjit Singh Ranu, Bharat Mukti Morcha President Rajinder Rana, Bharti Kisan Union Dakoda and Ekta Group, Shri Akal Takht Sahib Jatha Bhai Bagicha Singh Wadaich and Sardar Kuldeep Singh have all given a boost to AISSF call to stopple the SYL by joining their march from Devigarh to Kapoori.
With Sikh body's counter call to "Stopple" the SYL, a faceoff is on the offing between Haryana's INLD and Punjab's All India Students Federation (AISSF) on the construction of disputed canal. Speaking on the matter AISSF President Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed lauded the Punjab Government call to ask Central government for 20 Military Force Battalion to stop INLD from digging the SYL Canal, We shouldn't allow INLD to enter Punjab said AISSF Chief. Slain former PM Indira Gandhi in April 1982, laid the foundation stone of SYL at Kapoori, a village located at the border of Punjab and Haryana. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has called upon the people of Haryana to gather at village Ismailpur in Haryana to dig SYL Canal on February 23.
Pointing to Badal, Captain and Kejriwal's silence on INLD's call on SYL, AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammad termed these leaders as "toothless politicians who only used SYL issue as a gimmick during the elections". "In 80s, Sikh nationalists laid down their lives to stop the construction of SYL, now it is our duty to protect the river waters of Punjab", stated Peermohammad.
"We will not allow any government to implement Supreme Court's decision and we are also in the process of challenging the SYL decision before International Tribunal in Hague", added Peermohammad. US based rights group "Sikh For Justice" (SFJ) and AISSF have organized the Punjab Water Referendum 2017 to challenge Indian Government's control over Punjab's water. The groups are aiming to collect one million votes of indigenous people of Punjab living globally till March 11. Sikh groups have now launched hi-tech voting mobile apps " PWR 2017" for iPhone and Android Referendum to gather votes in Punjab Water Referendum for challenging Supreme Court's decision on SYL before International Tribunal in Hague, Netherlands.