In what can be seen as water war reaching 'boiling point' , a strong reaction to assertion of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a senior Congress leader and MP has now given it a shape of political and regional level bickering.
Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa in a strongly worded response has rebuked Omar Abdullah for his opposition to a proposed 113-km canal to divert surplus water from the Indus river system to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, emphasising Punjab’s historical and agricultural significance.
Reacting sharply, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accused Abdullah of undermining Punjab’s sacrifice and patriotism, pointing to Punjab’s suffering during Operation Sindoor, saying “Pakistan attacked Punjab more than Jammu & Kashmir.”
He recalled the challenges Punjab faced during Operation Sindoor, asserting that there wasn’t as much “Pakistani attack in J&K as there was in Punjab.”
Randhawa said, “One should not make statements that cast doubt on patriotism. Punjabis have never done that. And even during Operation Sindoor, there wasn’t as much Pakistani attack in J&K as there was in Punjab. Punjab was turned into a battlefield. The patriotism of Punjab, the strength of Punjab, and the strength of its agriculture — as long as Punjab remains strong, India remains strong.”
The Congress MP said he was “sad” and “hurt” by the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s recent comments.
“I don’t know in what context Mr. Abdullah made his statement, but I’m sad. Considering the relationships his grandfather, father, and himself have had with Punjabis and with Punjab, and the faith his father and grandfather had in Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), I am hurt by his statement.”
Now this may have political implications as Congress is alliance partner of J&K government and NC continues to be part of INDIA bloc at national level which is led by Congress.
At the state level, Randhwa's reaction may give some embarrassing moments for Congress , even though the leadership has chosen silence as of now on both the statements.
While speaking to a news agency, Randhawa directly replied to CM Abdullah’s remarks: “Punjab should be given water because when India gained Independence, we used to beg to the world for (food) grain.
”The Congress MP underscored the historic significance of Punjab’s irrigation system, recalling the legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. “It is because of this water, and the three dams built there, and if they have even a little knowledge of history, they would know that the best canal system existed during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time.
He stated that Punjab’s border regions, including areas right up to the no-man’s-land where farming continues today, are not only symbols of the state’s resilience but crucial contributors to national food supplies. “That water is Punjab’s lifeline,” he said.
Randhawa’s remarks come in response to CM Abdullah’s June 20 statement in Jammu, where he rejected the canal, citing Jammu’s drought-like conditions and questioning Punjab’s past support asking “Did they give us water when we needed it?”
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