Sutlej Yamuna Link issue: Police use water cannon against protesting Akali Dal workers

Police on Tuesday used a water cannon to disperse Shiromani Akali Dal workers marching towards Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's official residence here over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders led by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed the Mann government for having 'failed' to safeguard the rights of Punjab in river waters.

Several other leaders including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema and senior SAD leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar also joined the protest held outside the party headquarters here.

Police had raised barricades to prevent Akali workers from heading towards the chief minister's residence. When protesters tried to break through barricades, police used the water cannon to disperse them.

Later, police detained party leaders including Badal, Majithia and Cheema and SAD workers.

Addressing the party workers here, SAD president Badal said they wanted to go to the residence of Mann for a debate on Punjab issues with the chief minister which he challenged all opposition leaders a few days back.

He said police did not allow them to head toward the CM's residence.

At the protest site, the SAD leaders even brought a chair with a sticker, mentioning 'mukh mantri', (chief minister) Punjab, pasted on it and said the CM 'ran away' from the debate.

On October 8, CM Mann had challenged the BJP, Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal for an open debate on issues relating to the state on November 1.

Badal said while accepting the challenge, he had told the chief minister that he would come on October 10 but he 'ran away.' The SAD chief said CM Mann should have the courage to participate in the debate.

On the issue of SYL canal, Badal slammed the Mann government, claiming that the state government told the Supreme Court that it wanted to build the canal but the opposition parties were not allowing it.

Badal also lashed out at the Mann government over several issues including for the alleged deteriorating law and order and 'rising' state's debt.

On October 4, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to survey the portion of land in Punjab which was allocated for the construction of part of the SYL canal in the state and make an estimate of the extent of construction carried out there.

The SYL canal was conceptualised for effective allocation of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. The project envisaged a 214-km canal, of which a 122-km stretch was to be constructed in Punjab and the remaining 92 km in Haryana.

Haryana has completed the project in its territory but Punjab, which launched the construction work in 1982, shelved it subsequently.