Chandigarh: A political storm has erupted after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced strong opposition to the flow of Indus River water from the union territory to Punjab, triggering sharp reactions from major political parties in the state.
Slamming Abdullah’s remarks as “politically motivated,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Neel Garg said that decisions regarding inter-state water sharing fall solely under the purview of the Central government, and not a matter to be unilaterally decided by any state or union territory. “Punjab is in urgent need of water for agriculture and sustenance. We are not asking for charity—we are demanding our fair share,” Garg said.
Garg further recalled that during periods of military tension with Pakistan, the Central government had considered revisiting or even annulling the Indus Water Treaty. “If water treaties can be reviewed in the interest of national security, then certainly Punjab’s long-standing water crisis demands urgent redressal by the Union government,” he added.
Backing AAP’s stance, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring denounced Abdullah’s comments as “absurd” and “deeply irresponsible.” Warring stated, “When canals are being planned to stop our water from flowing into Pakistan, it is baffling to see opposition from within our own country. Omar Abdullah’s priorities seem misplaced.”
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also entered the fray, with senior leader and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema calling Abdullah’s comments an extension of “historic injustice” done to Punjab. “Punjab’s groundwater levels have plummeted dangerously due to decades of over-exploitation. While we feed the nation, we are denied even the water we rightfully deserve. Omar Abdullah’s statement is not just disappointing—it is offensive to every farmer in Punjab,” Cheema said.
The SAD leader further appealed to the Union government to revisit the allocations made during the Indira Gandhi era, calling them “biased and unsustainable in today’s context.”
