Congress lawmakers to quit if SC ruling on SYL canal goes against Punjab

Chandigarh: All Congress legislators in Punjab will submit mass resignations in the event of the Supreme Court deciding the SYL (Sutlej-Yamuna Link) canal case against the state, Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh said on Sunday.

Amarinder Singh said that the Congress legislators had unanimously agreed to the move to resign en masse. He said that he would also resign from Lok Sabha if the SYL ruling goes against Punjab.

"While we respect the Supreme Court, we are also duty-bound towards Punjab, hence we will find legislative and constitutional ways and means to safeguard our water," he told media here.

"Not only will over 10 lakh acres of Malwa (south of river Sutlej) region go dry, people will not have even drinking water if SC decides against Punjab," Amarinder claimed.

"In case the Supreme Court verdict goes against Punjab and it orders construction of the SYL, Punjab will be left with no option. The responsibility of this will be on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's for his failure to act on time," Amarinder said.

"We will initiate legal and constitutional measures to safeguard our waters like we did in 2004 when we enacted Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004," Amarinder said.

"Either his (Badal's) intentions were not honest, or these were not clear, which made him to vacillate and waste crucial time in getting the Governor's assent to the unanimous resolution of the Vidhan Sabha on SYL, thus providing enough time to Haryana to move the SC," he observed.