Chandigarh : Politics over the SYL canal, which has been a big political issue in Haryana for the past over five decades, is set to hot up again as the INLD will launch a campaign of court arrests from Bhiwani.

Under the campaign named as “Jail Bharo Andolan”, the INLD has already announced a schedule of programmes to be held in the month of May.
As per the programme, the INLD will hold a rally at Bhiwani on May 1, following which thousands of workers will court arrest, said sources in the party.

“After Bhiwani, our workers will court arrest at Yamunanagar on May 4, Nuh on May 8, Sirsa on May 11, Narnaul on May 15, Kurukshetra on May 18, Fatehabad on May 22, Palwal on May 25 and Kaithal on May 29,” said Leader of the Opposition in State Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala.

Chautala alleged that the present BJP government in the state and at the Centre was not interested in constructing the SYL canal, which is a lifeline for farmers in the state.
He claimed that ever since Haryana was carved out as a separate state in 1966 and was allotted its share of waters, the INLD was the only party that had sincerely tried to build the SYL canal.

“The Congress remained in power from 1966 to 1976, but it did nothing to construct the canal. Devi Lal took over in 1977 and released Rs 1 crore to Punjab for the acquisition of land and Rs 2 crore for the construction. But then Bhajan Lal, who remained in power from 1980 to 1986, did nothing and the matter went to courts. On June 16, 2002 when the Supreme Court gave its verdict in favour of Haryana, it was the Congress government in Punjab that promulgated the Punjab Termination of Water Agreement Act, 2004, which was challenged by the Haryana Government headed by Om Prakash Chautala at that time. For the next 10 years, the Congress government also did not make any efforts for early hearing of the case in the court. Now when the SC has ordered to construct the canal, the BJP government is not showing any interest,” he said.

He said the party has given time to the government to start the construction of the canal by May 1 or face agitation.

Ever since the INLD launched its Jal Andolan in February last year, the party “digged” canal at Shambhu on February 23, ‘Sansad Gherao’ on March 16 last, dharna at Jantar Mantar from April 1 to 8, blocked roads from Punjab on July 29 and organised a rally at Ramlila Maidan on March 7.