CHANDIGARH, May 4:— Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Sunday declared that the state would not release “even a single drop of water” to Haryana, intensifying the ongoing inter-state water-sharing conflict and taking direct aim at the BJP-led Centre and the Haryana government.
His remarks came a day after an all-party meeting in Haryana urged Punjab to release water unconditionally.
“This water is being snatched from us. We are Punjabis, sons of Punjab. We will not let the Centre and Haryana snatch even a single drop of water,” Dhaliwal asserted.
The war of words escalated after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini slammed the AAP government for refusing to comply with the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s directive.
“Not following the BBMB’s direction is unconstitutional, inhuman, and a direct attack on the federal structure,” Saini had said.
Dhaliwal defended Punjab’s stand, invoking Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership. “Just as the head of a household saves every single rupee to run the family, Punjab’s leader Bhagwant Singh Mann is saving every single drop of water for his farmers and for Punjabis,” he said.
“The BJP government is trying to illegally plunder it.”
He underlined that Punjab’s agricultural sector is under stress and cannot afford to lose more water.
“It will not happen. The water will be utilised for Punjab’s farmers and agriculture sector. We do not have excess water, and we cannot give more,” he added.
The AAP-led Punjab government continues to resist what it views as coercive pressure to divert water, even as the BJP-led Haryana government insists on receiving what it calls its “rightful share.”
“I stand with my leader. We won’t give even a single drop of water,” Dhaliwal reiterated, underscoring the growing tensions that now straddle both political and constitutional lines.
Read more: Follow Guru’s Teachings, Share Water: Haryana CM Tells Punjab
