CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has given an ultimatum to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to withdraw his statement about it surrendering Punjab’s rights on Chandigarh by July 20 and apologise, failing which the SAD would approach all political parties to launch a joint agitation to secure the state’s rights.
The SAD core committee took the decision on Tuesday during a meeting presided over by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The committee said that an anti-Punjab stance indicated that Mann was acting on the instructions of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal. “It demanded the chief minister explain his stand on all issues of Punjab, including the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), implementation of central pay scale for UT employees and attempt to convert Panjab University into a central university by July 20,” said the committee.
If the chief minister failed to do sohis, a three-member committee comprising Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sikander Singh Maluka, would coordinate a joint agitation with other political parties.
The core committee also decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 19 and at the residence of Delhi chief minister on July 20. The committee also noted that Union minister Amit Shah could not take any decision on allotting land to Haryana in Chandigarh without taking the stakeholders into consideration. “It also seems that the Centre, Haryana chief minister M L Khattar and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann are acting in conjunction on this issue,” said the committee.
The Akali leadership also condemned cabinet minister Harjot Bains’ call for forming a new river tribunal to adjudicate on the SYL issue in a meeting of the North Zone Council at Jaipur and termed the move as a conspiracy to give away Punjab’s river waters to Haryana by hook or by crook.
