Chandigarh, April 14
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today said that the union Home Minister appeared to be working on imposing Governor’s Rule in Punjab to rule over Punjab by proxy. He also took strong exception to the government of India’s latest move to open the membership of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to outsiders and not restrict it to Punjab and Haryana as was the practice till now.
Talking to reporters here today, Warring said that this was yet another attempt by the union Home Minister to undermine the leftover powers of Punjab. He said this was a clear attack on the federal structure of the country as the centre was gradually encroaching upon the jurisdiction of the states. He criticized the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for remaining in deep slumber while the BJP led centre was continuing with its assaults on the authority of Punjab.
Warring pointed out, earlier the Chairman of the BBMB was appointed from outside. Then the central government wanted to do away with the Panjab University Senate elections and change the name of the university. “And now, they have taken away the rights of Punjab regarding the membership in the BBMB. Besides, he also referred to the Chandigarh administration allowing Haryana to build its assembly house in the UT,” he added. Asked whether he would demand an all party meeting on the issue, he said, that hardly serves any purpose. He said, the government just passes a resolution and shrugs off its responsibility with that.
Warring suggested that the AAP government must adopt strong legal recourse and approach the Supreme Court and fight the case legally. Otherwise, he warned, such signals don’t portend well for Punjab, apprehending that very soon the BJP government at the centre may start the process of giving away Punjab’s water to Haryana through Satluj Yamuna Link Canal.
