PARKASH PURB: BALL IN JATHEDAR’S COURT
AMRITSAR: The Punjab government on Tuesday put the onus of holding the joint celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in Sultanpur Lodhi on the Akal Takht after failing to break the stalemate over the issue with the Shirmonai Gurdwara Parbandak Committee. The government also offered the ‘pandal’ it has set up to the Takht.
DAKHA: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday lambasted Union leader Harsimrat Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal for “deliberately putting obstacles” in the way of coordination between the state government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for joint celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of his road show in favour of Congress’ Dakha candidate Captain Sandep Sandhu here, the CM said three of his cabinet ministers had met the SGPC representatives on Tuesday morning and had an amicable discussion on the issue.
“Sukhbir and Harsimrat are trying to scuttle an amicable settlement of the issue at every step for their political gains,” said Amarinder while referring to the deadlock over the issue.
He added that the Akalis had always exploited religion for vested interests. “What kind of Akalis are these? Definitely, not the Taksali Akalis of the founding party,” The CM said.
Amarinder lashed out at Pakistan over the imposition of $20 fee on Indian pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, saying it tantamounts to putting a ticket on visiting the shrine. “How will the poor pilgrims pay this amount?” the CM asked. Amarinder also said he was not in favour of talks with Islamabad “till they stopped cross-border militancy and killing of Indian soldiers”.
SLAMS KEJRI
On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks blaming Punjab and Haryana for the high level of pollution in the national capital, Amarinder said Delhi had more pollution of its own than Haryana and Punjab put together. He accused Kejriwal of trying to shift blame on other states to hide his own failures.
DAKHA GETS NEW SHO
Punjab’s chief electoral officer S Karuna Raju on Tuesday approved the name of inspector Kikar Singh as new Dakha SHO.He was posted in place of Prem Singh who was shifted on Akali Dal’s complaint for allegedly favouring the ruling Congress candidate.