Not running away from debate: Sunil Jakhar on SYL canal debate

Oct 16, 2023

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], October 16 : Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sunil Jakhar clarified on Monday that he is not running away from the open debate on the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue but proposed that there should be judge in the debate.
"I have never run away from the debate. I have said that there should be a judge in the debate who can decide. Bhagwant Mann wants to know the result without a judge, which we will not allow to happen," Jakhar said speaking to ANI on Monday.
The state BJP chief said that he had proposed three people as judges for the debate who are founder members of the Aam Aadmi Party but Punjab Chief Minister is not ready to accept the proposition.
"We had named three people as judges for the debate, who are founder members of Aam Aadmi Party and whom I have met very rarely. But even Bhagwant Mann is not ready to accept this...," Jakhar said.
"Why are you running now after inviting? If not, why object to these names (Dr. Dharamveer Gandhi, HS Phoolka, Kanwar Sandhu) to conduct or monitor the debate?" Jakhar posted on 'X'.
On Akali Dal not participating in the SYL debate, Jakhar said, "Sukhbir Badal has rightly said that Punjab Kejriwal is the real Chief Minister and Bhagwant Mann is only his puppet. There is no use in debating with a puppet."
Jakhar said that if the Punjab Chief Minister agrees on the names of the three individuals proposed by him as judges in the debate he will convince Sukhbir Badal to come to the debate as well
"If Bhagwant Mann agrees on the names of these three, then I will convince him to come to the debate," he said.
Earlier in a post on 'X', the Punjab BJP chief proposed the names of Dharamvira Gandhi, Harvinder Singh Phoolka and Kanwar Sandhu as judges for the SYL debate.
"Given the profound significance of issues at hand, and to ensure that the self-seeking AAP Leadership does not turn prestigious PAU into a theatre of absurd, I propose a 3-member panel including 1.Former MP Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi ji, 2.Former MLA Harvinder Singh Phoolka ji and 3.Former MLA Kanwar Sandhu ji , to steer the debate in right direction," Jakhar posted on 'X'.
"All 3 distinguished personalities have undoubtable integrity and as their concern for Punjab's interests is well known, I have taken the liberty of proposing their names without even seeking their consent -( I apologise for that ). If they do agree with my suggestion and the state government has no objection, debate over issues concerning Punjab would certainly be richer and robust," he added.
Sunil Jakhar said that the deceased Agniveer jawan, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound was not accorded a funeral with military honours, because of a policy by the Indian Army and Bhagwant Mann should refrain from politics on the Army.
"It should be considered that this is a policy of the Army. Before giving any statement to Bhagwant Man, the facts should be known...Bhagwant Mann's statement weakens the morale of the Army. The Army belongs to India and not to BJP...Before making any statement on the Army, he (Bhagwant Mann) should think 10 times. He should not do politics on an institution like the Army," Jakhar said.