Battle Over Water in Punjab Assembly: AAP MLA Tears Copy of BBMB Order

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Amid the intense dispute between Punjab and Haryana over the water of the Bhakra Canal, a one-day special session of the Punjab Assembly has been called today (May 5). The main agenda of this session is to pass a resolution regarding not giving Punjab's water from the Bhakra Canal to Haryana. Along with this, a censure motion against the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB)'s water sharing decisions and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will also be brought in the House.

At the beginning of the session, tributes were paid to those killed in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. After this, a discussion began in the House on the issue of water, which has increased the political heat. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amritpal Sukhanand tore a copy of the BBMB's water decision in the House, calling it illegal. He argued that Punjab, which was once known as the land of five rivers, is now dependent on only three rivers and it has no water left to give to Haryana.

Several heated exchanges of debate were witnessed inside the House. A heated exchange of views also took place between Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa and Deputy Speaker Jaikishan Rori over giving Sukhpal Khaira a chance to speak. Bajwa insisted on allowing Khaira to speak, to which the Deputy Speaker said he would be given a chance later. Earlier, a heated exchange of views also took place between Pratap Singh Bajwa and AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh over apologising for the water-related mistakes of the previous governments. Gurpreet Singh called upon all leaders to apologise for the mistakes of their governments, to which Bajwa retorted by saying he was ready to apologise, provided Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal first apologised for his old statement about giving water to Haryana.

Amidst all these political developments, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has opened a separate legal front. The BBMB has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the deployment of Punjab Police Force at the Bhakra Dam. In its petition, the BBMB has alleged that the Punjab government has virtually "occupied" the Bhakra Dam and taken the security arrangements in its own hands. This petition is likely to be heard in the High Court this afternoon.