In a fiery political escalation, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has launched a sharp attack against the BJP-led central government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), accusing them of conspiring to divert Punjab’s waters under the pretext of national needs. As tensions mount at the state’s international border, Mann’s warning to the Centre and its affiliated institutions carries both political and emotional weight, resonating with decades of unresolved river water disputes that continue to inflame Punjab’s electorate.
Speaking from the ground during his symbolic protest visit near the BBMB installations, Mann accused the central government of playing what he described as “dirty games” at a time when Punjab is already facing the grave responsibility of protecting the nation’s 532-kilometre border with Pakistan. He said that while Punjab Police and the civil administration work shoulder to shoulder with the Indian Army to ensure the security of the nation, the BJP is orchestrating moves to rob Punjab of its rightful share of water, thereby testing the limits of the state’s patience.
Refusing to mince words, Chief Minister Mann described the BBMB as an instrument of injustice, manipulated by the Centre to execute its stepmotherly policies toward Punjab. He asserted that there is no legal directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court mandating the release of water from Punjab’s share, calling any such forced release both illegal and unconstitutional. According to Mann, the Centre’s alleged attempt to transfer Punjab’s water to Rajasthan—citing the Army’s deployment in the desert state—is not grounded in procedural transparency but in political opportunism.
While reaffirming Punjab’s unwavering commitment to national interest, Mann clarified that the decision to temporarily release water to Rajasthan’s military zones was an exception made in the spirit of safeguarding national unity. However, he cautioned that such gestures should not be interpreted as a green light for regular diversion. “If BBMB officials now attempt to discharge water forcibly, they will be responsible for their own safety,” he warned, adding that public sentiment in Punjab is at a boiling point.
He also singled out Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, accusing the former Haryana Chief Minister of orchestrating the current crisis. Mann suggested that the BJP’s leadership is underestimating the resilience of Punjab’s people, who, he said, have historically sacrificed everything to defend both the land and the waters of their state.
In a stinging critique of farmer unions, the Chief Minister questioned their silence over the BBMB issue, accusing them of selective activism. He said the unions have remained curiously inactive on this vital issue while being quick to protest on lesser concerns. He hinted at a lack of sincerity, suggesting that their reluctance to protest under the open sky—without air-conditioned trolleys—exposed their true priorities. Yet, Mann made it clear that the state does not depend on such unions and will independently defend Punjab’s interests without relying on any external support.
Mann further underscored the fundamental flaws in the current structure of the BBMB, calling it outdated and biased. He called for a complete restructuring of the board, arguing that it had ceased to serve its original purpose of equitably managing the waters of the Beas and Sutlej rivers. Instead, he alleged, it has become a political tool used to undermine Punjab. The Chief Minister also announced that his government would soon seek a full audit of BBMB’s finances, especially the funds contributed by Punjab’s taxpayers which, he claimed, are being used to wage legal battles against Punjab.
He called it a grave irony that officers from other states are being paid through Punjab’s coffers while working against the very interests of the state. “This is not just an administrative issue—it is a question of our existence, our fields, our food, and our future,” Mann declared, stating that the groundwater situation in Punjab has already reached a critical stage, with most river sources running dry and more than 80% of blocks classified as over-exploited.
Reiterating the government’s firm stance, the Chief Minister announced that no spare water will be given to any other state under any circumstance. Not even a single drop, he stressed, would be sacrificed at the altar of political pressure. If the Centre continues its attempts to manipulate water resources, he warned, the BJP and BBMB would have to take full responsibility for any law-and-order situation that arises.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains and other senior officials were present alongside Mann during the protest, marking a significant moment in Punjab’s assertive re-engagement with its long-standing water rights struggle. As the political atmosphere intensifies, the Mann government appears ready to turn water rights into a battleground of both legal and emotional resistance—one that could redefine Centre-state relations in the days to come.
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