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Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Kartarpur, July 24
Taking a tough stand on the SYL issue, PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh today announced that he — as MP — and all MLAs of the Punjab Congress would resign if the decision of the Supreme Court goes against Punjab.
Amarinder said this during a ‘Halke wich Captain’ programme at Kartarpur.
“Being the PPCC chief, I feel it is my duty to resign as MP. So is the responsibility of all MLAs to stand for the interest of Punjab. If the Congress’ mass resignation works, then CM Badal and his government will definitely follow the Congress line,” Amarinder said.
He said the high command would not be roped in into the matter as it has to manage other states, including Haryana and Delhi.
Amarinder said that to his knowledge, the judgment, which is reportedly against Punjab, has already been written. It could be made public by the mid of August because one judge out of the panel of five would retire at the end of next month.
“If the SC judgment goes against Punjab, it will only be because of Badal’s failure to act on time,” Amarinder said.
“While we respect the Supreme Court verdict, we are also duty bound towards Punjab. Hence, we will find legislative and constitutional ways and means to safeguard our water,” he said.
Interestingly, when Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh, who was sitting along with Capt Amarinder on the stage, was asked if he would also resign, he — in a wavering tone — initially said he would follow the high command’s directions. Later, he said that he would also resign.
Amarinder said Badal’s stand on SYL had always been vacillating and ambiguous right from the day he accepted Rs 2 crore in 1978 from his Haryana counterpart Devi Lal.
On AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, he said that while he was in Punjab, Kejriwal said Punjab had no spare water and the SYL should not be constructed. But the moment he landed in Delhi, he said the SYL needs to be constructed and all states, including Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, should get water.
On Jakhar’s announcement of indefinite fast, Capt said that sitting on fast or setting up morchas is the cup of tea of the Akalis, not of the Congress. “We don’t want to bring Punjab into any turmoil by such immature measures,” he said.
Jalandhar MP fumes over ‘seat snub’
Kartarpur: Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Choudhary reportedly argued with members of party strategist Prashant Kishor’s team when he was denied a seat next to Capt Amarinder Singh on the stage during a ‘Halke wich Captain’ programme here.
Santokh, along with son Vikramjit Choudhary, was seen arguing for a chair.
The strategist’s team told him that as per the protocol of ‘Halke wich Captain’, only Amarinder could sit on the stage. Other senior leaders have to sit in separate enclosures made for them. On this, the father-son duo reportedly went outside the venue.
A member of Amarinder’s team cajoled the MP and made him sit next to the PPCC chief on the stage.
But when asked, Santokh told The Tribune that he had not asked Prashant’s team for a seat alongside the PPCC chief. In fact, Amarinder told his team to put up a chair for him. “Even the protocol says that the local MP will sit alongside the PPCC chief,” Santokh claimed. tns
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