Chandigarh: Asserting that the state was fighting twin battles, one against Pakistan to safeguard the borders and the other against the Union and Haryana governments to protect its water rights, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said they “foiled the nefarious design” of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to steal the state’s waters.
Chief Minister Mann staged a sit in at Nangal town to ensure that the BBMB Chairman cannot divert the waters of the state to Haryana.
He said, “If Punjabis can protect the borders of the state, then they are capable enough to save its water also. It is shameful the BJP-led Union government is playing dirty games over the waters of the state in this crisis when the country is supposed to fight the enemy unitedly.”
CM Mann said on Thursday, “When in the entire country sirens are being blown for blackout as a part of a strategy to battle Pakistan, the BJP is playing petty politics with Punjab.”
He said the BJP and its allies were in a haste to steal the waters of Punjab whereas Haryana has been using 4,000 cusecs for the entire year.
CM Mann said the Punjab government will challenge the decision of the High Court on the BBMB and water sharing in the apex court, adding the battle to protect the waters will be fought politically and legally.
He said the BBMB Chairman tried to “illegally loot the water of the state which is highly condemnable.”
CM Mann said that any such move will not be tolerated, and the state government will oppose it tooth and nail.
The Chief Minister said the BBMB was originally established to manage the waters of the Sutlej and Beas rivers. However, he said that for years, Punjab’s water has been diverted to other states through the BBMB, adding the BJP government has started using this Board for its political interests.
Responding to the development relating to the BBMB, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said it was unfortunate that “at such a juncture Chief Minister Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are resorting to theatrics instead of addressing issues vital to national security and state welfare.”
“Today’s incident at the BBMB is a glaring example of this misplaced focus. AAP Minister Harjot Bains staged a dramatic spectacle, claiming he confined BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi to prevent an unauthorised water release to Haryana.
“In stark contrast, the Chairman clarified that he was not confined and was merely inspecting security arrangements at the Nangal Dam. Such contradictory narratives and staged dramas serve no purpose other than to create confusion and undermine the gravity of the ongoing BBMB dispute,” Bajwa told the media.
“The BBMB demands mature and responsible action, not political stunts. CM Mann lost precious 48 hours and did not approach the Supreme Court after the High Court gave an order in favour of the BBMB and against the interests of Punjab.
“His Cabinet should advise him to take governance seriously rather than doing theatrics. Punjab faces critical challenges, be it water management, border security, or public welfare, which require focussed governance not staged shows,” he added.
(IANS)
