Chandigarh, 2 May

Amid escalating tensions between Punjab and Haryana over sharing of water, an all-party meeting called by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab on Friday saw parties putting up a united stand on the issue.

A fresh row had erupted over the issue of water sharing between the two neighbours, with the Punjab government refusing to release more water to the BJP-ruled Haryana.

While the Bhagwant Mann government has convened a special Vidhan Sabha session on Monday on the issue, it was mulled during the all-party meeting that the parties could meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days.

Representatives from various parties including AAP, Congress, BJP, SAD, CPM and BSP took part in the meeting, which was chaired by Mann.

Among other leaders who took part in the meeting included Punjab minister and AAP state chief Aman Arora, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, BJP senior leader Manoranjan Kalia, Congress's Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Rana K P Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal's Daljit Singh Cheema and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Punjab BSP chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri and party MLA Nachhatar Pal.

Addressing a press conference after the all-party meet, Mann said, "The meeting was held for nearly two hours and all parties gave their views on water issue."

Training guns at the Centre, he said the issue has been thrust on us by bypassing Punjab as he referred to Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) deciding to release 8,500 cusecs water to Haryana.

Some BBMB officials were also changed overnight, he said.

During all-party meeting, we condemned this. We are already giving 4,000 cusecs to Haryana on humanitarian grounds. Rather than thanking us, they took the issue somewhere else, said Mann.

Mann had on Thursday asserted that his government will not allow the release of more water to the neighbouring state, claiming it has already utilised its share.

He had said the Punjab government as a humanitarian gesture had already generously allotted 4,000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana from 6 April.

Mann had also hit out at the BBMB for its decision to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, saying such "robbery" of Punjab's rights will not be tolerated and that the board has no right to "dictate" matters related to his state.

He had said neighbouring Haryana has already utilised 103 percent of its allocated share.

Mann had also accused the BJP of exerting pressure on the Punjab government through the BBMB to meet Haryana's demand.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, accused the AAP government in Punjab of playing "dirty politics" over the water sharing issue.

This was the first time that the supply of drinking water had been halted, he said.

Emphasising that this is not a matter of irrigation but of essential drinking water, the Haryana chief minister said such a basic human need must never be turned into a political tool.