‘Smirk’ that triggered Abhay to question govt seriousness

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

Leader of the Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and members of the treasury benches argued over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal during a debate on the Governor’s Address today, turning the House into a scene of acrimony.

This began when Abhay saw a “smirk” on BJP MLA Abhay Singh Yadav’s face when the INLD leader referred to the SYL Canal and his party’s rally in Delhi on the matter tomorrow.

To this, Yadav said he understood the pain of farmers of his Assembly segment, Nangal Chaudhry, were sufferers. “Unlike the INLD leader, I do not believe in getting political mileage out of the matter.”

“Abhay Singhji, Punjab mein jaakar sadak khodne se SYL nahi aati (Abhay Singhji, SYL won’t be constructed by digging a road in Punjab),” Yadav said referring to the INLD’s protest at Shambu border in February last year when its members had dug a road there.

Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu also joined the debate and said the matter was in the Supreme Court and the INLD should respect the court’s verdict rather than playing politics.

An agitated Chautala maintained that no SYL case was pending in the Supreme Court and the minister was merely misleading the House.

“The seriousness of the BJP can be gauged from the fact that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar could not even get an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi though this was decided in an all-party meeting,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

He said it was only after his letter that the Prime Minister suggested an INLD’s delegation to meet Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Acrimonious scenes were witnessed again when Abhay dragged Gadkari’s name in the matter. Capt Abhimanyu and other BJP leaders objected to this.

BJP’s chief whip Gian Chand Gupta, who was officiating as Speaker for a few minutes during Deputy Speaker Santosh Yadav’s absence, ordered that Abhay’s comments about Gadkari would be expunged from the day’s proceedings.

The Finance Minister said had the INLD supported the BJP when all four BJP MLAs resigned over the SYL row in 2004, the canal could have been constructed much earlier.