HARSIMRAT DISSOCIATES SELF FROM AMARINDER-LED JATHA

AT ODDS This comes on the day Centre shares a list of 575 pilgrims for the ‘inaugural jatha’ comprising the Union minister, ex-pm Manmohan Singh, pointing towards a fresh row between Capt govt and SAD

AMRITSAR : Union minister for food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday dissociated herself from the inaugural jatha (delegation) to be led by Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to Kartarpur gurdwara in Pakistan on November 9 through the newly constructed corridor. Harsimrat made the statement during her visit to the city along with her husband and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and address a meeting of party leaders from the Majha region.

AMRITSAR: UNION minister for food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday dissociated herself from the inaugural jatha (delegation) to be led by Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, in Pakistan on November 9 through the newly constructed corridor.

Harsimrat made the statement during her visit to the city along with her husband and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and address a meeting of party leaders from the Majha region.

Asked about non-inclusion of former Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in the delegation being led by the chief minister, she said, “Eh jehra delegation ja reha, jehri sarkar da, oh dasse.

Sada delegation jawega 9 tareek nu, jisnu Pardhan Mantri Ji hari jhandi denage. Kender di sarkar da programme ho reha 9 tareek nu, us vich pardhan mantri ji aunge. 550 members da pehla jathe nu flag off karange (Only the government which is taking this delegation can tell this. Our delegation is leaving on November 9 and will be flagged off by the Prime Minister. It will be the first one and will have 550 members. He will also attend the inaugural function organised by the centre at Dera Baba Nanak).”

Whether she will also accompany the delegation, Harsimrat replied in the affirmative. Her statement, which came on a day the central government shared a list of 575 pilgrims (which includes Harsimrat) who will be part of the inaugural ‘jatha’ to use the Kartarpur corridor to travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, built at the site where Guru Nanak spent the final years of his life, is a pointer to a fresh controversy between the ruling Congress and the opposition SAD over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of the Sikhism founder. The list includes former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Union minister Hardeep Puri, Punjab CM, and MPS and MLAS from Punjab besides Harsimrat.

Later, some other SAD leaders also claimed that the inaugural jatha would not be led by the CM.

The state government and the Akali Dal-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have already been at loggerheads over holding a joint function at Sultanpur Lodhi next month, with both seeking primacy. As the two sides failed to reach a consensus, Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had to take the final call.

Raveen Thukral, media adviser to Amarinder, said the chief minister would lead the 550-strong jatha (delegation) on November 9 and the state government had forwarded the names of all the MLAS, MPS, heads of political parties, irrespective of their party affiliations, and prominent leaders of Sant Samaj in the state. “All of them are welcome to join. Those who do not want to come can go anytime,” he said, adding, “The delegation will be flagged off by the Prime Minister”.

‘GOVT VIOLATING AKAL TAKHT EDICT’

Lashing out at the state government, Harsimrat said it was violating the edict of Akal Takht by going ahead with setting up its

Our delegation is leaving on Nov 9 and will be flagged off by Prime Minister Modi. It will be the first one and will have 550 members.

HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL, Union minister for food processing industries

separate stage in Sultanpur Lodhi. “This is most degraded act of Congress. The people should recognize those who are celebrating the auspicious occasion with unity and those who are separately”.

During their visit, both Sukhbir and Harsimrat hailed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s move of laying the foundation stone of Baba Guru Nanak University at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak in Pakistan. However, they opposed charging of 20 US dollar from each pilgrim by Pakistan and asked the state government to pay this fee for facilitating financially weaker section of the society.

They also held a meeting with Akali leaders of Majha region to mobilize them for 550th Parkash Purb celebrations in Sultanpur Lodhi.

“As per the decision taken by the party, 550 persons from each of the assembly segments of Punjab will take out bike procession to Sultanpur Lodhi from 8 November to 12 November on different dates,” said party spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha.