Chandigarh, May 1 (H.S.): Amid the ongoing water dispute with Haryana, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized statewide protests in Punjab against the central and Haryana governments on Thursday.
AAP ministers, legislators, and senior leaders led the demonstrations, accusing the BJP-led central government of betraying Punjab by diverting additional water from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to Haryana.
The Education Minister announced that the Nangal Dam had been taken under their control. Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Cheema communicated the government’s stance on water supply to the media in Chandigarh.
Protests took place at district headquarters, including a demonstration in Amritsar where Cabinet Ministers Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Harbhajan Singh ETO rallied outside BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh’s residence.
AAP leaders charged that the central government was unlawfully supplying Punjab’s water to Haryana, while Punjab farmers struggled for every drop. The ministers claimed that the BJP’s actions were revenge against Punjab’s farmers. In Rupnagar, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains held a sit-in at the dam, asserting control over water release in accordance with Punjab’s orders and pledging that no surplus water would be sent to Haryana. Security was heightened at the Punjab BJP headquarters amidst the unrest.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
