AAP Leader Neel Garg On Omar Abdullah's Statement - Punjab Should Also Get Water from the Indus River
Authority Over Water Decisions Rests with the Center; Omar Abdullah Cannot Act Unilaterally: Garg
Girish Saini
Jun 20, 2025 09:03
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Chandigarh, June 20, 2025: Reacting to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's statement that "we will not give water from the Indus River to Punjab," Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Neel Garg questioned the statement and accused Abdullah of deliberately politicizing the water issue.
Neel Garg stated that the authority to decide on river waters lies with the Central Government. Hence, Omar Abdullah cannot take a unilateral decision on this matter. He emphasized that Punjab needs water, and therefore, Punjab should also get a share of the Indus River's water.
He further added that during the war with Pakistan, the Indian Government had decided to annul the Indus Water Treaty. Now, it is the Indian Government's responsibility to appropriately distribute the remaining water and give Punjab its rightful share.
Neel Garg pointed out that, like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab is also a border state. Whenever war occurs, Punjab becomes the battleground. And when the country needs food grains, it becomes the granary of the nation. Now that there is water available, Punjab has a legitimate claim over it.
He highlighted that Punjab needs water today. Most of its regions have entered the dark zone. In the process of filling the nation's granaries, we have been deprived of our own water. Now that the Indus Water Treaty has been annulled, Punjab has the primary right over this water because it will not only bring relief to our barren lands but also boost our agriculture. When farmers prosper, the nation prospers.
Garg added that our Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also stated, after the annulment of the Indus Treaty, that Punjab should receive a share of the water that is being prevented from flowing to Pakistan. Therefore, the Government of India must consider this matter.
