"India has done three strikes": BJP's Altaf Thakur on suspension of Indus Waters Treaty

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 5 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Altaf Thakur on Monday asserted that India has done three strikes - diplomatic, economic and water on Pakistan after New Delhi suspended Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
He questioned the rationale behind the Indus Waters Treaty, which was signed in 1960, and suggests that India's sovereignty and interests should be prioritised.
Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Altaf Thakur said, "India has done three strikes - diplomatic, economic and water. Who made this treaty under which we are not getting water from the rivers flowing on our land?"
India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty will severely impact Pakistan's water supply, potentially leading to economic hardship and diplomatic tensions, especially regarding water management and trade. The treaty governs the allocation of Indus River water, with Pakistan heavily reliant on it for agriculture and energy. India's move is a diplomatic response to alleged Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism.
Thakur hinted at further action against terrorists, emphasising the need for a strong response to terrorism.
"There will be another strike, which will be on terrorists. Pakistan is fearing; Pakistan is shivering. It must know that it will get punished for what it has done," he added.
BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said that Pakistan will soon see the end of "abeyance" of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
"When a treaty (Indus Waters Treaty) has been suspended, then we will do things as per our own wish. Pakistan will see its effects soon," Gupta told ANI.
The government's decision to put in "abeyance" the Indus Water Treaty comes after a series of meetings, including the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which discussed security preparedness in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives.
The government has announced a series of measures to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
The government announced a series of measures, including holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. Other diplomatic measures include Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi being declared 'persona non grata' and asked to leave India within a week.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Ravinder Raina on Monday addressed the Indus Water Treaty issue and said that in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Indian government decided to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, after which the water from Indian rivers flowing to Pakistan stopped.
He said that the decision of the Indian government is clear and that the flow of four rivers, Chenab, Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas, has been completely stopped. Raina stated that on one end, Pakistan will send terrorists and shed blood, whereas it cannot even make itself prosperous by taking the water of this place.
"After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Indian government has decided to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and due to this, the water of Indian rivers flowing to Pakistan has been stopped... The water of these 4 rivers - Chenab, Sutlej, Ravi and Beas - has been completely stopped... This decision of the Indian government is clear," Raina said.
Meanwhile, the water level in the Chenab River has witnessed a significant drop in Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir, after the closure of gates at the Baglihar and Salal Dams.
Locals have expressed support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, which they believe has led to a decrease in water levels. Speaking to ANI, one of the locals exhorted that they don't want even a single drop of water to be supplied to Pakistan while extending support to the Indian Army and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A local Kalyan Singh said, "Earlier, the Chenab River used to flow at a height of 25-30 feet, but now there is hardly 1.5-2 feet of water left here. This is because of PM Modi's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold...We do not want even a single drop of water to be supplied to Pakistan. We are all standing with the Indian Army and PM Modi..."
"In my 75 years of life, for the first time I have seen such low volume of water in Chenab, I express gratitude to PM Modi for taking this decision. I'm shocked to witness the drastic change in the river's water level, from once being full to now barely having 1-1.5 feet of water .... We stand with Indian Army," another local said. (ANI)