Cong MLAs will resign if SC decision is unfavourable to Punjab in SYL issue: Amarinder

New Delhi, Oct 23: Accusing the Badal government of "failing" to properly defend the rights of Punjab on the SYL issue in the Supreme Court, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today announced that all party MLAs will resign en mass if the impending decision of the Apex court is "unfavourable" to the state.

Amarinder told reporters after a meeting of senior Punjab Congress and AICC leaders that the party had unanimously decided to stand by its earlier decision that all MLAs will resign en block in the event of the Supreme Court’s decision going against Punjab.

He himself would resign from the Lok Sabha and go to the people’s court, the Punjab Congress president said. The meeting decided that the MLAs will submit mass resignations from the state assembly "in the interest of the people of Punjab, who will suffer serious shortage of water in the event of the SYL decision going against the state.

"The MLAs will resign from the Vidhan Sabha and come out on the streets to fight for the rights of the people of the state, it was decided at the meeting. "We will be left with no option but to take to the streets in the interest of Punjab and its people, and the responsibility of this will be on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for failing to protect the rights of the state," said Amarinder.

He alleged that Badal had failed to even uphold the sanctity of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, which his government had passed to annul all inter-state water sharing agreements signed by Punjab.

Amarinder alleged the NDA, of which Badal’s Shiromani Akali Dal is a part, took an "anti-Punjab" stand during the hearing on the Presidential Reference pertaining to the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, laying bare the hypocrisy of the Badals in this whole affair.

Earlier, the leaders reiterated that while the Congress respected the Supreme Court, it is also duty-bound towards Punjab, and "hence we will find legislative and constitutional ways and means to safeguard our water."

At the meeting, Amarinder Singh lashed out at the Badal government for its "failure" to defend the state properly in the apex court and alleged complicity on the part of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with the Central government.

The Punjab Congress president also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of showing similar double standards, with its leader Arvind Kejriwal openly taking contradictory stands on the issue. The Congress leaders also discussed the party’s poll strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections and prepared a roadmap for the next phase of campaigning.

PTI