Badal's move on water issue can endanger peace: Hooda

Chandigarh, Mar 6 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said his counter part in Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal's intention to stop Haryana's share of river waters by amending the Termination of Water Agreements Act would have serious implications for peace and prosperity of the region.

''The unconstitutional and questionable motives of the Punjab Chief Minister are designed to gain cheap publicity which has serious implications for peace and prosperity of this region,'' Mr Hooda said while talking to mediapersons after a meeting with Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-Din Soz in New Delhi.

He said the Haryana government and the people of the state would give a befitting response to such irresponsible intentions of the new government in Punjab.

Mr Hooda said the President of India had made a reference to the Supreme Court regarding the constitutional validity of this Termination of Water Agreements Act.

'It is not understood how a piece of legislation, the Constitutional validity of which is under consideration of the Supreme Court, is sought to be amended,'' he added.

He said Haryana was a basin state for the Indus system with 60 per cent of the state falling in Indus Basin. ''As a successor state, Haryana is as much a riparian State as Punjab is for rivers Ravi and Beas. Haryana has inherent rights in the water of these rivers.'' MORE UNI