Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, DD,In a press conference held today at the party office, Abhijeet Criticizes Congress Leadership Over Indus Water Treaty and Historical Blunders Abhijeet Jasrotia, a prominent political figure, strongly criticized the Congress party and its leadership for historical blunders related to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and the treatment of PoJK (Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir) refugees. Dr. Jasrotia also endorsed the recent statement of Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra, who acknowledged that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru committed a grave mistake in signing the Indus Water Treaty.
Dr. Jasrotia pointed out that the Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, was a significant blunder by Nehru, as it handed over control of 135 million acre-feet of water from the Indus and Jhelum rivers to Pakistan, while India retained only 33 million acre-feet from the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers. He emphasized that this unequal distribution has had long-term consequences for India’s water security, particularly in the regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
Dr. Jasrotia lambasted the Congress party for its failure to address the inequities of the Indus Water Treaty and for not revisiting the treaty during subsequent governments. He specifically criticized former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for not demanding compensation for PoJK refugees during the construction of the Mangla Dam in Pakistan. He noted that while Indira Gandhi congratulated then-Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the dam’s completion, she failed to secure payments for the displaced PoJK refugees.
Dr. Jasrotia also criticized the National Conference (NC) government for its role in the Thein Dam project on the Ravi River. He highlighted that the Kathua-Kandi belt was promised both water and electricity as part of the agreement, but these promises were never fulfilled. He stated that while Punjab has benefited from the dam, the Kandi belt has suffered due to the lack of water and electricity, remaining dry and underdeveloped.
Dr. Jasrotia demanded that the Punjab government compensate the people of the Kathua-Kandi belt with more than ₹8 th crore for the injustices they have endured. He also called on the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi to apologize for the mistakes made by Nehru and Indira Gandhi, which he described as the “biggest blunders” in India’s history.
Dr. Jasrotia endorsed Tariq Hameed Karra’s recent statement acknowledging Nehru’s blunder in signing the Indus Water Treaty. He urged the Congress party to take responsibility for its past mistakes and work towards rectifying the injustices faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
Dr. Jasrotia’s press conference highlighted the long-standing issues related to the Indus Water Treaty and the failures of successive governments to address the concerns of affected regions. He called for a renewed focus on water security, equitable resource distribution, and justice for the people of PoJK and the Kathua-Kandi belt.DD
