Water Woes: Gupta Hits Out at BJP and Congress for Decades-Old Dispute

In a sharp critique of the BJP and Congress, Haryana Aam Aadmi Party President Sushil Gupta lambasted both parties for failing to resolve the enduring 50-year water dispute between Haryana and Punjab. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Gupta asserted that despite having control over governments in both states and at the Centre, neither party has successfully addressed the issue. He urged the Prime Minister to ensure equitable water distribution among states.

The ongoing water struggle, Gupta argues, has only served as an electoral ploy, with no genuine efforts made to resolve the shortage affecting multiple regions. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala also accused key players, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, of mismanaging the escalating conflict, leaving Haryana facing an acute water crisis.

In response, Haryana's CM Nayab Singh Saini led a BJP-convened all-party meeting in Chandigarh, attended by prominent figures such as former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda. A resolution was passed urging Punjab to release Haryana's allocated water share per the Bhakra Beas Management Board's mandate. CM Saini emphasized Haryana's current challenges with drinking water shortages and criticized the Punjab government for failing to fulfill its water-sharing agreement.

(With inputs from agencies.)