Chandigarh: Legislators of Opposition INLD in Haryana on Thursday protested outside the Punjab Assembly against the bill passed by the neighbouring state that provides for returning 3,928 acres acquired for the construction of the SYL canal to the original landowners.
Midway the assembly proceedings, INLD MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and state unit president Ashok Arora went out of the House and started protesting at the gate leading to the Punjab Assembly. The Punjab and Haryana assemblies are located in the same complex.
The INLD MLAs raised slogans against the governments in Punjab and Haryana and demanded that the Bill be withdrawn.
Later speaking to reporters, Chautala said, "We met Punjab Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal in his room in the complex and lodged our protest against the Bill passed by the House.
"The passage of the bill will trigger a fresh row between the two states. We considered Punjab as our elder brother but today they have betrayed us."
"Now the people of Haryana will have no faith in Punjab. They have ended the relationship between the two states," he said. He termed the situation as a "black chapter" in the history of Haryana and said his party will fight it till the end.
"If a need arises, INLD will mobilise its workers and proceed to the border with Punjab with implements to again dig up the under construction SYL canal being flattened by the people in Punjab," Chautala said.
The legislators also engaged in a scuffle with the security personnel outside the Punjab Assembly during sloganeering.
