Chandigarh:- Haryana Congress today hit out at Indian National Lok Dal, which has said its activists will march towards Punjab to dig up SYL canal tomorrow, accusing it of doing politics over the water-sharing issue.
Speaking to scribes here, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar dubbed INLD’s announcement as “a political stunt” and said the party had earlier failed to support various accords which were in Haryana’s favour.
“What INLD is doing is just a political stunt. The party is on its last legs and fighting for its survival. Now, suddenly it has dawned upon them that they have to safeguard Haryana’s interests on water issue,” said Tanwar.
“INLD opposed Rajiv-Longowal and other accords which were in Haryana’s favour. Everyone knows that the Chautalas and the ruling Badal family in Punjab share close family ties. Both the Akalis and the INLD have been shadow-boxing on the water issue to fool the people,” he said.
The state Congress chief alleged INLD of using the SYL issue “like a political football for its vested interests”.
“In Haryana, everyone knows they are playing second fiddle to the ruling BJP and now no one is going to believe in the stunts they are trying to indulge in,” he said.
A huge posse of police personnel has been deployed at the Haryana-Punjab border following INLD leader Abhay Chautala’s call to undertake digging of SYL canal for faster implementation of the apex court’s pro-Haryana verdict over sharing of the river waters.
Commenting on the ongoing Jat reservation stir in the state, Tanwar said the ruling BJP in Haryana had not adopted proper way to initiate talks with the protesters.
“Rather than forming a committee of the officers to talk to the Jats, the political leadership should have engaged in the discussion with the Jats,” said Tanwar.
“The officers can’t arrive at a conclusion, ultimately the ball will again come back to the court of the political leadership. So, it could have been MLAs, MPs, Ministers who should have held the talks right from the start,” he pointed out.
Tanwar also claimed that “influential political people, top bureaucrats and some builders” were responsible for grabbing 464 acres of New Gwal Paharai land in Gurugram and demanded that land be restored to its “rightful owners”.
The land is currently in the hands of various individuals, private developers and farmhouse owners. The entitlement of the land in question and the mutation has been in dispute for over three decades.
Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) recently sent notices to individuals to vacate its over 450 acres of land in Gwal Pahari.
PTI
