*SAD gives ultimatum to CM to withdraw statement surrendering Punjab’s rights on Chandigarh by July 20*

(Core comm led by Sukhbir Badal decides to launch joint agitation to secure rights of Punjab if CM does not withdraw his statement)

(Opposes ban on SYL and Rihai songs, announces protest tractor march on July 15 demanding revocation of the bans)

Chandigarh, July 12 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today gave an ultimatum to chief minister Bhagwant Mann to withdraw his statement surrendering Punjab’s rights on Chandigarh and apologize for the same failing which it would approach all political parties in the State to launch a joint agitation to secure the rights of Punjab.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the party’s core committee presided over by president Sukhbir Badal. The committee said the manner in which the chief minister had recently tried to brazen it out when asked why he had taken an anti-Punjab stance indicated that he was acting on the instructions of AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal. It demanded the chief minister explain his stand on all issues of Punjab including the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), implementation of central pay scale for UT employees and attempt to convert Panjab University into a central University by July 20. It said if this was not done, a three member committee comprising of Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sikander Singh Maluka, who also attended the meeting, would coordinate a joint agitation with other political parties.

Meanwhile the core committee also decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 19 and at the residence of Delhi chief minister on July 20. The committee noted that union minister Amit Shah could not take any decision on allotting land to Haryana in Chandigarh without taking the stakeholders into consideration. Terming the decision as illegal, the committee noted that the union minister did not have any authority to allot land to Haryana in the union territory. “It also seems that the centre, Haryana chief minister M L Khattar and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann are acting in conjunction on this issue”. It said the dharna in front of the Delhi chief minister’s residence would be held to unmask the role of Kejriwal in compromising the interests of Punjab in his bid to strengthen AAP in Haryana.

Led by SAD President Sukhbir  Badal, the core committee also expressed grave concern at the manner in which freedom of speech and expression were being throttled by banning songs which solely expressed the sentiments of the people. The committee noted that there was nothing objectionable in either the SYL song sung by the late Sidhu Moosewala or the Rihai song sung by Kanwar Grewal which had been banned by the centre. It decided that as an act of solidarity with both the singers and the ideas they espoused Youth Akali Dal (YAD) workers would take out tractor marches to all district headquarters blaring both songs as a sign of protest against this censorship.

The core committee also condemned the AAP minister’s call for forming a Tribunal to adjudicate on the SYL issue in a meeting of the North Zone Council and termed the move as a conspiracy to give away Punjab’s river waters to Haryana through hook or by crook. It noted that there was no need of any Tribunal as SYL did not exist on the ground and the land it stood on had been returned back to farmers by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. It said Punjab’s rights over its river waters were inalienable as per the riparian principle.

The meeting also asserted the appointment of Raghav Chadha as Chairman of the Advisory Board was unconstitutional. “Anyone who has not taken oath of the constitution cannot be shown official files”, the committee noted even as it called the move “a betrayal of the fatwa given by Punjabis”. It also asserted that the chief minister could not sub-let his powers to Raghav Chadha.

Others attending the meeting included Charanjit Singh Atwal, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Dr.Daljit Singh Cheema, Hira Singh Gabria , Baldev Singh Mann and Jagmit Singh Brar.