Chandigarh, February 25
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has taken stern notice of the abolition of permanent representation of Punjab in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and termed it as another direct attack on the rights of Punjab.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters on Friday, the party’s state president, MP and chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann said that the Modi government of the BJP had left the Congress behind in the matter of robbing the rights of the states. It is also a direct blow to India’s federal system. Bhagwant strongly condemned this step of centre government where they’ve degraded Punjab’s position in BBMB, he urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review all previous anti-Punjab decisions including the latest one and restore the rights of Punjab.
According to Bhagwant Mann, “The Union Government should refrain from taking arbitrary decisions in the BBMB Rules and abandon the already mundane and stepmotherly attitude towards Punjab and stop the loot. BBMB is the management on the ground of Punjab and conspiracies were hatched to oust Punjab.”
Bhagwant Mann said that BJP and Congress governments at the centre are not the only ones responsible for the decline of Punjab’s status in the management of BBMB. He held state political parties Congress-Captain and Badal-BJP and their leaders equally responsible and said that these politicians never look beyond their selfish agendas and Punjab suffer its repercussions.
Bhagwant Mann said that he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that after the announcement of the mandate of people of Punjab in favour of Aam Aadmi Party on March 10, all the issues related to the rights of Punjab would be taken up seriously with the Central Government and the interests of Punjab would be safeguarded in all respects.
Bhagwant Mann also said that various conspiracies were being hatched to hurt the brotherly bond of Punjab and Haryana formed during the farmers’ agitation. Eliminating the permanent representation of Punjab in the management of BBMB is also part of this conspiracy and people should stay cautious.
