Chandigarh, March 1
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab decided to give memorandums to Deputy Commissioners of various districts against the decision of the Narendra Modi led central government to terminate the representation of Punjab in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The demand letters would be handed over to DCs to send them to the Governor and first the district level leadership of Doaba region will hand over memorandum. Sharing this information, senior AAP leader and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said that AAP has demanded that the Hon’ble Governor should present these letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to uphold the rights of state and the Union Government should immediately stop their attacks on the rights of Punjab.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters on Tuesday, Harpal Singh Cheema said that BBMB was established under the ‘Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966’ and since 1967 its chairman and two members belonged to Punjab and Haryana as these two states were major stakeholders. But now Punjab’s representation in the BBMB is being abolished.
Cheema said that the BBMB stands on the soil of Punjab and conspiracies are being hatched to oust Punjab from BBMB. The importance of Punjab is being diminished from the management of the board. He said that Congress government at centre was committing such atrocities against Punjab and now BJP is following their steps. He added that Bharatiya Janata Party’s government is even putting Congress to shame when it comes to violating the rights of states and endangering India’s federal system.
Harpal Singh Cheema blamed former Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Capt. Amarinder Singh for these wrong-doings against Punjab. He said that for declining status of Punjab in BBMB, not only centre’s Congress and BJP governments are responsible, but Punjab’s Captain and Badal governments are equally responsible who never raised their voice in favour of Punjab and its rights. He said that today Punjab is bearing the brunt of the selfishness of Punjab’s traditional political parties and leaders who never put Punjab’s interest before them.
Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Union Government should refrain from taking arbitrary decisions in the matters effecting Punjab and should abandon their stepmotherly attitude towards Punjab which has already been looted enough. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately reverse his decision to end the permanent representation of Punjab in the management of BBMB and review all the anti-Punjab decisions taken by previous Congress governments and restore the rights of Punjab.
