Rajasthan ruling BJP celebrates Yamuna Water MoA; Congress apprehensive of curtailment of rights and share

Festivities prevailed at the ruling BJP state headquarters and the Chief Minister’s official residence (CMR) here on Tuesday as the saffron party celebrated, in a big way, the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the 32-year-old Yamuna Water Sharing Accord with Haryana. This will fetch 577 MCM of river water for the Shekhawati region, spread over three districts.

Buoyed by the success of the Double Engine BJP government in realising the 1994 inter-state agreement, the overwhelmed BJP cadres accorded a grand welcome to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, hailing him as the “Bhagirath of Maru Bhumi”, on his arrival at the airport here on Tuesday from New Delhi. They equated Sharma’s feat in signing the MoA to the legendary Ikshvaku King Bhagiratha’s deed of bringing the Ganga river down to earth from the heavens.

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A large crowd of BJP leaders and workers was present at the airport to receive the CM. After exchanging greetings at the airport gate, he was escorted to the BJP state headquarters in a huge procession. On the way, party workers and supporters waiting on both sides of the road along the route stopped Sharma’s caravan at several points to extend him a ceremonial welcome.

A formal reception was also held at the party state headquarters here to felicitate him. The procession later proceeded to and culminated at the Chief Minister’s Residence (CMR), where another reception was held by people from various walks of life.

A large number of people from the Shekhawati region, including MLAs, former MLAs, farmers and women’s groups, came to greet the Chief Minister for bringing water to their water-scarce region.

The grateful groups from Shakhawati garlanded Sharma with a ceremonial garland made up of 51 kg of flowers. The women presented him with auspicious earthen pots.

Almost the entire state Council of Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Prem Chand Bairwa, Cabinet Ministers Jogaram Patel, Suresh Rawat and Madan Dilawar, Lok Sabha MPs Manju Sharma and Rao Rajendra Singh, former ministers Rajendra Rathore and Arun Chaturvedi and other dignitaries attended the programme.

Against the backdrop of the festivities, the principal opposition Congress has expressed apprehensions about the “curtailment of Rajasthan’s rightful share of water compared to the 1994 Accord.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tika Ram Jully and state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra have alleged that the Bhajan Lal Sharma government has mortgaged the interests of Rajasthan to the Haryana government.

Former CM Gehlot said, “We want, and have the right to know, on what terms and conditions the consensus has been achieved in the MoA, signed yesterday.”

While signing the MoU way back in February 2024, there was a condition of giving 24,000 cusecs of water to Haryana, and thereafter, the leftover water would be given to Rajasthan. This term was detrimental to the interests and rights of Rajasthan.

“We want to know whether this term has been retained or reintroduced even in the MoA signed on Monday. Hence, we want the MoA to be made public”, he demanded.

The MoA provided only 577 MCM of water to Rajasthan, whereas the original 1994 accord had allocated the state 1.19 billion cubic metres (BCM), the Congress leaders said.