Pahalgam attack: Narayan Rane opposes Shankaracharya's views on Centre's Indus Waters Treaty decision

The decision to put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance has been taken for security reasons, said Narayan Rane. PIC/X

Former Union Minister Narayan Rane on Sunday disagreed with Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati's remarks questioning India's capacity to halt the flow of Indus river water and asserted that the security-related decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the Pahalgam terror attack should not be debated publicly, reported PTI.

Twenty-six people were killed by terrorists in the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday, after which the Centre took several measures to punish Pakistan, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance.

"We do respect him, but the decision has been taken for security reasons. Nobody is bigger than the country," Rane said, referring to Shankaracharya's viral video message.

The spiritual leader had claimed that India lacks the infrastructure to divert or retain Indus water and asserted that building such facilities could take two decades.

In the video message, Saraswati called the Centre's move on the treaty "fooling people."

Under the World Bank-brokered treaty, India was granted exclusive rights to the water of the eastern rivers - the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi - amounting to an average annual flow of about 33 million acre-feet (MAF).

The water of the western rivers - the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab - with an average annual flow of around 135 MAF, was largely allocated to Pakistan.

With the treaty now put in abeyance, the government is looking at ways to utilise the water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.

Meanwhile, speaking about local issues, Rane outlined development plans for Sindhudurg district, reported PTI.

He said he would be holding talks with industrialists Gautam Adani, Sajjan Jindal, and others to establish 500 manufacturing units on a 1,000-1,200-acre plot near Dodamarg, the smallest taluka in Sindhudurg.

"This will create one lakh jobs and increase the district's per capita income from Rs 2.5 lakh to over Rs 3 lakh," he said, adding that residents should diversify into agri-business and marketing.

He also addressed concerns about the proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway connecting Nagpur and Sindhudurg and said that he would support farmers if compensation issues arose, reported PTI.

"If fertile land is acquired without fair compensation, I will stand with farmers," Rane said, assessing potential impacts on the Sahyadri Tiger Corridor and wildlife habitats.

(With PTI inputs)