Chandigarh, May 2 (PTI) Punjab government curtailing Haryana's water is "not only unconstitutional but also immoral and inhuman", former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Friday.

He also slammed the BJP government in Haryana for failing to safeguard the state's interests.

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"Punjab government has no right to stop Haryana's water. Doing so is an attack on the federal structure. Haryana is not begging. This is the state's share of water, the quantity of which was decided under a proper agreement between the two states," Hooda said.

The Congress leader said the government should call a special assembly session after an all-party meet on the water-sharing issue and that pressure should be put on Punjab to save Haryana from water crisis.

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Hooda also criticised the state government.

"The BJP government in Haryana has proved completely unsuccessful in claiming the state's share of water till now. People may face a water crisis due to the government's incompetence," Hooda alleged.

He attributed the current crisis to the Haryana government's failure in appointing the state's representatives on Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

"Despite the Congress' repeated warnings, the state government never paid attention to the water-sharing issue. The Congress had raised this issue in the assembly as well, but the BJP government was asleep. Today Punjab officials are appointed on all the big posts in BBMB and there is no one to advocate for Haryana. The state is suffering as a result of this."

Hooda said Haryana used to get its full share of water earlier "as the Congress government used to ensure the state's full participation in the Bhakra Beas Management Board."

"There were three members from Haryana on BBMB. An irrigation department officer was especially appointed as BBMB member. The Congress government used to continuously appoint sub-divisional officers and junior engineers on the board," he said.

The former chief minister pointed out that as per rules, the superintendent engineer in the board should be from Haryana, but his appointment was not done during the BJP government.

"When the people of Haryana are not on the board, who will talk about our rights?" he asked.

Hooda alleged that ever since coming to power, the BJP has not advocated Haryana's interests with full vigour.

"Despite the Supreme Court's verdict on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link issue in Haryana's favour, the government has not been able to get water till date. Despite the BJP being in power for the third term in both the state and at the Centre, the BJP has maintained silence on the issue," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asserted that his government will not allow the release of more water to the neighbouring state, claiming that it has already utilised 103 per cent of its allocated share.

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

He 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.

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

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)