Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has firmly opposed sharing water from the Indus River system with other states, triggering a heated debate over water rights and regional disparities. Abdullah's statement comes in response to a proposal to divert surplus water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan through a 113-km canal project.

Abdullah has stated that Jammu and Kashmir's needs must be prioritized, emphasizing that the region is facing drought-like conditions. He questioned the rationale behind sending water to Punjab, highlighting that Punjab already receives water under the Indus Waters Treaty, and reminded the neighboring state of how it had "maltreated" J&K for years. He also recalled the long-standing dispute over the Shahpur Kandi barrage project with Punjab, where J&K was kept waiting for years. He stated that Jammu and Kashmir was in dire straits then and that this water is for them.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, divided the waters of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. The eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) were allocated to India, while the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) were assigned to Pakistan, with India permitted limited non-consumptive use of the latter. Following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, India has kept the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance.

Abdullah's strong stance has drawn criticism from political parties in Punjab. AAP Punjab spokesperson Neel Garg accused him of politicizing the issue, asserting that the authority to decide on river waters rests with the central government, not with Omar Abdullah to make a unilateral decision. Garg emphasized that Punjab, as a border state and the "granary of the nation," has a legitimate claim to a share of the Indus water, especially now that the Indus Water Treaty has been annulled.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also criticized Abdullah's remarks as unbecoming and politically motivated. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) expressed surprise at Abdullah's statement and urged the Centre to address the historical injustice done to Punjab in the distribution of Indus basin waters. SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema pointed out that the then Indira Gandhi government had unfairly allocated a significant share of river waters to Rajasthan, a non-riparian state, at the expense of Punjab.

Abdullah clarified that the government would restart the Tulbul navigation project and divert Chenab water from Akhnoor to Jammu city to utilize the western river waters for Jammu and Kashmir's benefit.