category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Days after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann challenged the BJP, Congress and the SAD for an open debate November 1 on issues related to the state, the Shiromani Akali Dal termed it an anti-Punjab exercise and said it would not take part in this sham debate . In a statement issue here on Friday, senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is organising a sham debate on November 1 to divide Punjabis on the orders of Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal . The SAD would not be part of this anti-Punjab exercise , he said. Amid opposition parties criticism over the issue of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Mann on Sunday dared the BJP, Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal for an open debate on November 1 on issues pertaining to the state. Opposition leaders have been attacking the AAP government over the SYL Canal issue, accusing it of failing to safeguard the state s interest. Their criticism came following the Supreme Court directive on October 4, asking the Centre to conduct a survey of land in Punjab that was allocated for the construction of the canal s portion in the state and make an estimate of the extent of work carried out there. We have learnt that central survey teams are expected to come to Punjab on November 1. Our focus will be on ensuring these teams do not conduct any survey on Punjab soil. Accordingly, we will protest against any attempt to conduct a survey to facilitate construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to transfer the state s waters to Haryana both at the starting point of the canal at Loondh Khad near Kiratpur and at its end point in Kapuri village in Patiala district, Chandumajra said. The SAD leader alleged Mann is following the directions of Arvind Kejriwal and is bent on creating conditions for the transfer of Punjab s waters to Haryana. The debate on November 1 at PAU, Ludhiana, is being held solely to divide the political parties of Punjab and create acrimony amongst them so that Punjabis cannot unite against the conspiracy to part them with their river waters, Chandumajra alleged. (editor dailyworld.in)