Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
SAD alleges CM Mann preparing to hand over Punjab’s river waters to Haryana
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, January 28, 2026: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday strongly alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is acting like a “modern-day Darbara Singh” and is prepared to compromise Punjab’s river water rights to remain in power.
Addressing a press conference here, senior SAD leader Parambans Singh Romana said that just as former Congress Chief Minister Darbara Singh had compromised Punjab’s river waters under pressure from then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Bhagwant Mann was now ready to surrender Punjab’s water to Haryana on the directions of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Romana questioned why the Chief Minister failed to clearly state that Punjab does not have a single drop of water to spare and that no water would be allowed to flow to Haryana. “This silence makes it evident that the AAP government is preparing to give away Punjab’s waters,” he said, adding that Mann’s remark—“first let us decide how much water is to be given, then we will build the SYL canal”—exposed the government’s real intent.
Reiterating SAD’s firm stand, Romana said the party would not allow even a single drop of Punjab’s water to go to Haryana. He recalled that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has already announced that the next SAD government would correct historical injustices by stopping the flow of water to the Rajasthan canal and diverting it to Punjab’s fields.
The SAD leader asserted that the only acceptable principle for resolving the Punjab-Haryana river water dispute is the Riparian Principle, under which Punjab is the sole owner of rivers flowing through its territory. He said the same principle was used to deny Narmada water to Rajasthan and questioned why different standards were being applied.
Romana also condemned the Chief Minister for using religious analogies to justify what he termed a “sell-out” of Punjab’s interests. He objected to Mann’s reference to Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, saying that the Sikh saint never denied water to his own people while serving others. “Our Gurus taught us compassion as well as the courage to defend our rights,” he said.
Refuting the Chief Minister’s claim that the SYL issue was created by previous generations, Romana pointed out that former CM Parkash Singh Badal had challenged the SYL provisions in the Supreme Court in 1979 and later, in 2016, denotified SYL land and returned it to farmers. “The issue has already been closed. Will the Chief Minister now build the SYL canal in the air?” he asked.
Romana further alleged that Arvind Kejriwal has been intent on handing over Punjab’s waters to Haryana and Delhi since 2017, citing statements and affidavits filed in the Supreme Court. “The SAD will not allow this conspiracy against Punjab to succeed,” he asserted.