Tensions over Punjab’s water future boiled over as Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of sacrilege in linking the SYL canal debate to Bhai Kanhaiya’s noble deeds. Speaking from Chandigarh, Badal described Mann’s rhetoric as a ‘distortion of sacred Sikh values’ during a media interaction following talks with Haryana’s leadership.
On social media, Badal clarified the Sikh perspective: ‘Bhai Kanhaiya’s mercy in war was divine, but Guru ji taught us to fight for justice too. Handing Punjab’s rivers to Haryana isn’t compassion—it’s surrender.’ He urged Mann to retract and apologize publicly.
Badal reminisced about the SAD’s firm stance under Parkash Singh Badal, who scrapped the canal project by de-notification and land restitution. ‘We settled it for good; AAP is reopening old wounds,’ he charged.
Mann had told journalists after meeting CM Nayab Saini that positive discussions occurred, guided by Gurus’ wisdom. Referencing Bhai Kanhaiya aiding enemies with water, he added, ‘No enmity with Haryana—it’s brotherhood.’
Echoing past Congress capitulations, Badal warned against repeating history. ‘SAD stands rock-solid against any dilution of Punjab’s rights.’
The SYL saga, mired in court for decades, pits Punjab’s surplus claims against Haryana’s deficits. Badal’s broadside not only critiques AAP but reignites Akali Dal’s narrative as Punjab’s water warriors, potentially swaying rural voters wary of water diversions.