LUDHIANA: The detained Akali leader, Simranjit Singh Mann, has ejected Punjab’s claim for share in the Yamuna waters as made out by the Chief Minister, Beant Singh.
Talking to media persons in district courts here, on July 10, Mann observed that Punjab’s claim was baseless as it was not in consonance with Article 246 of the constitution and was not a riparian state for the Yamuna. He alleged a deep-rooted conspiracy behind this claim, saying that it was meant to invite counter claims from Haryana and Rajasthan Governments on the Ravi, the Sutle and the Beas, on the same area which Punjab could ill afford, Mann also charged the president of Shiromani Akali Dal, Parkash Singh Badal, with being a part of the conspiracy as was obvious from his support for Punjab’s claim and his two representatives attending the all-party meet convened by the CM.
He reiterated that Badal, like the previous Congress and Akali chief ministers, such as Partap Singh Kairon, Darbara Singh and Surjit ‘Singh Bamnala, had also sold Punjab’s water interests and took Rs two crore from Devi Lal for allowing the Sutlej ‘Yamuna link canal, Mann, whose judicial remand under TADA has been further extended till August 14, said that poor timeout of Sikh voters (45% during Sunday’s Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections, shows that the Akali leadership had failed to enthuse the electorate and had put up unsuitable nominees, He also criticized Badal’s threat to expel certain party men and intellectuals in Delhi saying that this would weaken the party. He expressed surprise over the silence of Badal, G.S. Tohra, and Akal Takht Jathedar, Prof Manjit Singh, over the controversial kar seva inaugurated by the State Police Chi KP.S. Gill, at Ramsar gurdwara in Amritsar district.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 14, 1995
