Sack Punjab AAP minister who tried to hold BBMB chairman hostage: Hooda

Chandigarh: Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded the immediate sacking of the Aam Aadmi Party minister in Punjab, who "attempted to hold the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) chairman hostage and lock BBMB", describing the act reprehensible, illegal, unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Hooda also demanded that the Central government should take cognisance of the matter and immediately deploy Central Forces by removing the Punjab Police from Bhakra Dam.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Hooda said: "We are part of a federal structure, and Bhakra and Nangal Dam are projects of the Central government. The technical committee deployed there decides the distribution of water to the states. No one can have dictatorship in this, and Haryana is not demanding water of anyone else's share, but its own share."

The High Court has also given “clear instructions to the Punjab government not to interfere in water distribution. In such a situation, the Punjab government is also disobeying the orders of the court”, he said.

“The Opposition is standing with the government on issues of Haryana's interest. The state government should not show any kind of weakness. We will take every drop of water that is the right of the state,” Hooda added.