SGPC won’t give special treatment to VVIPS: Longowal

PATIALA: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal on Wednesday said no special treatment will be given to VVIPS and political leaders during the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak at Sultanpur Lodhi.

“The SGPC will ensure that the pious celebrations do not turn political at any stage. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be part of the ‘sangat’ in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib,” said Longowal, who visited the SGPC’S directorate of education here.

The SGPC has also decided to honour two Sikh scholars and historians Rattan Singh Jaggi and Prof Prithipal Singh Kapur.

Chairing the meeting of Sikh History Research Board at the Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Institute at Bahadurgarh, Longowal said the two historians have immensely contributed in presenting the history of Sikhs and Sikhism.

He said the SGPC has also decided to hold a photo exhibition displaying the historic incidents during the past 550 years. “Besides, a Sikh diary will be compiled for distribution among the pilgrims during the celebrations at Sultanpur Lodhi,” he added. PHAGWARA:A day after the Punjab government put the onus of holding the joint celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in Sultanpur Lodhi on the Akal Takht, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said the Takht was the supreme authority of the Sikh Panth and its directives will be binding on the SAD.

“It was unfortunate that the Congress is still indulging in politics even after Sri Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has asked everyone to desist from such tactics,” he said while reacting to the Congress government’s offer to the Takht to hold the main function at the ‘pandal’ it has set up at the historic town.

Sukhbir also condemned chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s reported statement that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) should restrict itself to the gurdwara premises in Sultanpur Lodhi and leave it to the government to conduct the celebrations outside the shrine.

He said that putting such conditions when the entire Sikh community is planning to propagate the message of oneness is not in the interest of the Panth.

‘SAD, BJP PERMANENT ALLIES IN PUNJAB’

Addressing rallies in Phagwara and Mukerian in support of BJP candidates Rajesh Bagha and Jangi Lal Mahajan, respectively, Sukhbir said the SAD and BJP are permanent allies in Punjab. “The alliance is in the national interest as well as in the interest of Punjab. The alliance is a symbol of peace and communal harmony in the state.”

He added, “The people of Punjab understand that the SAD and BJP offer unconditional support to each other. Pakistan is always trying to foment trouble in Punjab, but its evil designs have always been thwarted due to the rock solid SAD-BJP alliance”.

Describing Amarinder as an arrogant leader, Sukhbir said the CM has failed to fulfill any of the pre-poll promises made by him.

DRIVE AGAINST STRAY ANIMALS

Meanwhile, the district administration has appealed the local pet owners living near Gurdwara Ber Sahib to shift their pet animals, especially dogs, to some other places during the celebrations so that these do not cause any harm to pilgrims.

4, 000 POLICEMEN TO KEEP VIGIL IN CITY

To ensure safety of visitors and VIP guests, Punjab Police will deploy over 4,000 cops to guard the city during the celebrations, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Satinder Singh. For surveillance, over 1200 CCTV cameras will be installed across the city. Thiruvananthapuram: The Vatican has rejected Sister Lucy Kalapura’s appeal seeking to revoke her expulsion from the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) of the Catholic Church. The FCC had expelled her in August saying her ‘lifestyle’ violated congregation laws.

The nun, however, has reiterated her claim that she was being victimised for supporting the agitation to arrest deposed bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mullakal, who is facing rape charges.

She added that she would remain at the convent. The nun said she got a communiqué from the Vatican, written in Latin, with a covering letter by Ann Joseph, the superior general of FCC in New Delhi. “The recourse presented by Sister Kalapura stands rejected. If she considers the present decree is against her lawful rights, she can present a new recourse to the Supreme Tribunal of Segnatura Apostilica,” says letter. The nun added that since the Vatican letter was in Latin, she couldn’t understand the details.

“I don’t have any place to go. I have lived my life for the congregation. I will remain at the convent and will send another letter to the Vatican to revoke the punishment,” she said. A teacher, she is currently attached to the Mananthwadi diocese in Wayanad, north Kerala.

She said most of the charges raised against her were baseless and she had been asked to vacate the convent several times.previously,