Rubbishing AAP’s campaign, Capt. Amarinder Singh claimed he had told the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982 itself that the project would never be viable. Amarinder pointed out the very fact that the advertisement welcoming Gandhi in the newspapers was not issued by the Patiala District Congress Committee, but by some other organisation conveyed the message loud and clear that the Congress did not approve of it at that time also. “But, we did attend the function as Indira Gandhi was our party president as well as the Prime Minister,” he clarified.
CHANDIGARH – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the Congress for initiating the process of constructing the controversial SYL canal.
AAP circulated advertisements printed on behalf of Congress leaders who welcomed then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the state for laying the foundation stone of the project on April 8, 1982. PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is reportedly seen welcoming her at Kapoori village to lay the foundation.
The advertisements were carried in The Tribune on that date on Page 5. One of the advertisements was by Patiala district youth Congress and another by the Punjab Vikas Sabha. Both had pictures of Capt Amarinder Singh.
Amarinder later as Chief Minister in 2004 acted against the project by terminating all river water sharing agreements.
AAP MP Bhagwant Mann and senior leader Sukhpal Khaira said Amarinder might have delayed the construction of the SYL canal, he must admit to the fact, that it was the Congress which created the entire dispute revolving around the SYL canal and the river waters of Punjab.
