Opposition questions Rajnath Singh’s ‘Indus water’ warning to Pak

New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Opposition leaders on Saturday questioned Defence Minister Rajanath Singh’s warning to Pakistan that “Indus water will not reach the terror patrons”, pointing out that the BJP-led Central government had last year kept the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance and that it was not completely written off.

Addressing an ‘Intellectuals Meet’ organised in Hyderabad by Telangana BJP, Rajnath Singh said: “We had warned that if Pakistan carries out terror attacks in India, we will stop the nation’s food and water. By suspending the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack, we said that those whose tears have dried up should not expect water from us. We will not let the waters of the Sindhu reach the patrons of terrorists and enemies of humanity.”

Reacting to it, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai criticised the Centre, saying, “We were told that the water has not been stopped completely but kept in abeyance. This government says something and does something else. How can we trust them?”

Echoing similar views, JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said: “These people only raise slogans. During Operation Sindoor, they (the government) had claimed to stop the water to Pakistan, but all these are just for show; in reality, they have very good relations with Pakistan.”

However, BJP National Spokesperson R. P. Singh backed the Defence Minister’s remarks.

He said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already announced that not a single drop of the Indus water will go to Pakistan, and preparations in this regard are already underway. Defence Minister also quoted the same statement.”

“It is very clear, why should India’s water go to Pakistan?” he told IANS.

During the event, Rajnath Singh also said that through Operation Sindoor, India has shown the world how to respond to those who don’t understand the language of peace and harmony.

Singh’s remark is a reiteration of Prime Minister Modi’s statement last year that “blood and water cannot flow together”.

Meanwhile, India had last week reiterated its consistent stance on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), saying that the agreement remains in abeyance until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism.

The reaction from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came after Pakistan said India was seeking to “weaponise water” by advancing the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project and plans to flush silt from the Salal Dam reservoir.

—IANS

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