Amritsar/ Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal yesterday took yet another U-turn on Punjab river water issue. Only three days after maintaining that only AAP could project Punjab’s river waters, Kejriwal on Wednesday (Dec. 14) maintained that the non-riparian state of Delhi has right over Punjab’s river water.
Earlier political opponents used to accuse Arvind Kejriwal for ‘double talk’ on Punjab river waters issue saying that ‘in Punjab Kejriwal talks about protecting Punjab waters and in Delhi he asserts Delhi’s right over river water of Punjab’. But this time Arvind Kejriwal, while being in Punjab, in clear terms said that people of Delhi and “all” have right over Punjab’s river water. He was talking to media persons on the sidelines of Aam Aadmi Party’s rally in Majitha.
On being asked by a journalist whether Delhi has rights over Punjab river waters, Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said “Bilkul Hai Ji. Sab Kush Hai, Sabka Hak Hai, Sabha Hak Hai” (Yes indeed! Everyone has the right).
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The statement came just a few days after Arvind Kejriwal in Jagraon criticised Capt. Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal for allegedly befooling people on controversial Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
A written statement issued by AAP on December 11 reads: “Kejriwal said that only AAP can protect the waters of Punjab. He assured the people that nobody will be allowed to snatch the rights of state. AAP leader said that Punjab does not have extra water and question of giving it to any other state does not arise“.
Notably, Delhi is a non-riparian state to the Punjab rivers and it could claim no right of Punjab’s river waters. Despite this Delhi is getting 2 LAF river water of Punjab that was allocated to it through extra-legal and extra-constitutional arrangements.
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