With the contentious issue of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal putting the Aam Aadmi Party on a tightrope both in Punjab and Haryana, the party appears to have put the ball in the Centre’s court to resolve the issue following the Supreme Court’s direction for survey of the land meant for construction of the SYL canal in Punjab.

AAP general secretary Sandeep Pathak, who is on a three-day tour in Haryana, on Wednesday said it is for the Centre to resolve the SYL issue.

On Wednesday, taking a middle path in Haryana’s Rohtak, the Rajya Sabha member from Punjab said both Punjab and Haryana should get water. He said it is for the Narendra Modi government to provide water to both the states and resolve this issue.

Defending the AAP government in Punjab, Pathak said it was not the responsibility of the Punjab government but the central government to provide water for the SYL. He accused the PM of not resolving the issue of the SYL canal between Haryana and Punjab.

Earlier, Pathak faced flak in the AAP-ruled state for talking about Haryana’s share of water by stating: “Punjab should receive water as per its rights, and Haryana should receive water as per its rights. The Supreme Court will determine the way forward, possibly through discussions.”

“In Punjab, there is an AAP government, and in Haryana, after the formation of an AAP government, we will seek a suitable solution. However, the central government will still play a significant role in this issue,” Pathak had said earlier on Tuesday.

This statement evoked strong reactions from the opposition parties in Punjab with the state leader of opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, accusing the AAP leader of terribly failing to defend Punjab’s “exclusive rights” on its river waters as per the “riparian laws”.

Reacting to Pathak’s statement, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation.

“Let Sandeep Pathak make it clear to you (Mann) that Haryana has no right over Punjab’s waters, otherwise you should keep your mediation to yourself,” he said.

While Punjab AAP leaders, where the party is ruling, publicly oppose sharing even a drop of water with any other state, in Haryana, where the party hopes to gain ground in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections next year, they are in a tight spot to talk about getting the state its share of water from Punjab through the SYL.

This is despite AAP Haryana president and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Gupta’s much quoted past statement that after the formation of AAP government in Punjab, the party will construct the SYL and deliver water to every farm in Haryana.

However, as this statement put AAP in a tight spot in Punjab, even Gupta now maintains that it is for the BJP-led Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the issue between the two states.

“The SYL canal is not the issue, the main issue is sufficient water. Every field of Haryana and Punjab should have access to water. Two states cannot share water if there is already a shortage. In such a situation, the Centre cannot remain a silent spectator,” said Gupta.