Stopping water flow to Pak: Chavan says minister doesn't have power

India has decided to stop the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty

Pune: A day after Union minister Nitin Gadkari spoke about not allowing India's share of water to flow to Pakistan, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said a minister on his own can not take such a decision.

India has decided to "stop" the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty, Gadkari, Union water resources minister, said Thursday, a week after the Pulwama terror attack.

An official later clarified that it was not a new decision.

"The honourable minister does not have such authority...such decisions should be taken by the cabinet's security committee because the international repercussions of such things can be very serious," Chavan, a former Union
minister in the Manmohan Singh government, said.

"So it not good that any minister just gets up and makes such a statement because such decisions should be taken by the prime minister," he said, speaking to reporters here.

"As far as giving a reply to Pakistan is concerned, whatever decision prime minister takes, we will support it as we do not want to bring politics into it. Hut whatever decision PM wants to take, it should be taken instantly," he
added.