Chandigarh, April 15 -- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Congress in Punjab on Tuesday objected to the BJP-led central government's amendment to the rules governing appointments in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The Union government on Monday amended the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Rules, 1974, opening the top positions of member (power) and member (irrigation) to candidates nationwide. These roles now require higher technical qualifications and 20 years of experience. Condemning the move, cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains said the central government's policies clearly indicate its intent to assert control over every aspect of Punjab, making the state feel this pressure at every step. "Punjab's water management is closely tied to BBMB and removing the mandatory provision of appointing a Punjab officer undermines local expertise and threatens the state's interests. Allowing officers from outside without regional understanding could increase risks and weaken the state's control over its resources," he added in a statement, demanding a rollback of the decision. In a statement, Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney said the move discards long-standing conventions and dilutes the federal spirit by weakening the assured representation of partner states, reducing it to a mere preference. He added that as per an age-old and well-established convention, the post of member (power) has traditionally been held by Punjab, while member (irrigation) has been from Haryana. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also opposed the move saying the Centre's decision is against the interests of Punjab. He suggested that the AAP government should approach the Supreme Court and fight the case. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the amendment was detrimental to the interests of the state. While the BJP government is failing to secure Sutlej Yamuna Link water for Haryana, the state's interests regarding both the Bhakra water allocation and employment opportunities within the BBMB are consistently being ignored, Hooda added....