Chandigarh, April 24 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for playing politics by professing neutrality in the Supreme Court and refusing to come out in favour of Punjab on the issue of construction of the SYL canal.
In a statement here, Union minister for food processing industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal said AAP and Kejriwal’s new found “neutral stand” smacked of hypocrisy and betrayal and amounted to back stabbing the farmers of Punjab.
Mrs Badal said by professing neutrality on the river waters dispute between Punjab and Haryana in the apex court through a new affidavit, AAP had proved that it had reneged on its promise to take Punjab’s side. “Both AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and the entire State leadership of the party had claimed that they would side with Punjab in its fight to stop its river waters from flowing into Haryana. Where is this promise? Haven’t you gone back on it? the union minister asked.
Stating they Punjabis would see through the cowardly stand which was specially tailor made keeping in mind the forthcoming assembly elections in Punjab, the Bathinda mp said AAP should now apologise to the Punjabi farmers for misleading them into believing it would support their cause. “AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal told Punjabis during a visit to the State that Punjab did not have any water to spare. But today’s affidavit takes a diametrically opposite stand. AAP has washed its hands off the issue by stating it has nothing to do with the dispute. If this was so Kejriwal should not have come to Punjab and cried crocodile tears by sympathising with Punjabi farmers and assuring them his party’s support, Mrs Badal added.
Stating that repeated u-turns taken on this issue by AAP had discredited the party, the Union minister asked the Delhi government to pass a resolution supporting Punjab’s stand on SYL in its assembly if it was serious about the plight of the Punjabi farmer. She said Punjab chief minister had come out in support of the Punjabi farmer and averted major tracts of Punjab from turning into deserts by passing a bill returning the land acquired for the SYL back to the farmers. He said the Punjab assembly had also passed a resolution stating there was no need for construction of the SYL and that its construction would not be allowed. “The Delhi assembly should also pass a resolution concurring with the resolutions passed by the Punjab assembly if it was serious about protecting the Punjab farmers from ruin. If not it should admit that it has failed the Punjab farmers and not try to politicise the matter further through misleading actions which did not help Punjab’s cause in any manner”, Mrs Badal added.