Naib Singh Saini urges Punjab CM Mann to avoid politics over water issue, calls for unity

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini on Thursday urged his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann to rise above politics and focus on the interests of humanity amid the ongoing row over the release of 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.

Saini accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of creating divisions between Punjab and Haryana, and said, “We should take inspiration from Bhai Ghanaia. Whenever Punjab is thirsty, Haryana will give water.”

He said Haryana has traditionally received up to 9,000 cusecs of water between April and June, and that the water is used for drinking purposes. “Never in history has this water been stopped.

Punjab is the elder brother of Haryana, and the issue should be viewed through the lens of humanity, not politics,” he said.

Saini alleged that the AAP was unable to accept its defeat in Delhi and was now trying to escalate tensions through Punjab. “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should act on his own discretion instead of following others,” he said, adding that the Punjab government should stop fuelling divisions.

Clarifying the distribution of water, Saini said that out of the 9,000 cusecs Haryana receives, 500 cusecs go to Delhi, 800 to Rajasthan, and 400 cusecs are returned to Punjab.

He accused the Punjab government of politicising the issue to distract from its failures. “Bhagwant Mann should focus on the development of Punjab instead of making noise over water,” Saini added.