1,600 cops on vigil for Trudeau’s visit today
SGPC security on toes as well to keep away radical elements when Canadian Prime Minister, family pay obeisance at Golden Temple
AMRITSAR :
Amritsar police commissioner SS Srivastava is leading a team of 1,600 cops keeping vigil ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to the holy city on Wednesday.
Trudeau is scheduled to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple along with his family after landing at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport around 10:30am. He will also meet Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh after visiting Partition Museum and fly to Delhi around 1:15pm.
Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan and three other Canadian federal ministers of Punjab origin are travelling with Trudeau during the eight-day visit.
The whole city turned into a police cantonment on Tuesday with Punjab special security group (SSG) personnel and commandos adding to the local police strength. Punjab director general of police (DGP, intelligence) is overseeing the arrangements from Chandigarh.
Two deputy inspector generals, eight senior superintendents of police, 10 superintendent of police (SPs) and 15 deputy superintendents of police from Amritsar city, rural and adjoining districts are leading various teams. Heavy police force has been deployed on the 13km stretch from the airport to Golden Temple. “We are not blocking any route in Amritsar, keeping in view the heavy footfall of tourists and devotees,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, headquarters and security) Charanjit Singh.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also deployed its volunteers at the Golden Temple to keep an eye on any radical elements that may seek to rake up the Khalistan issue.
SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal held a series of meetings to discuss the preparations being made for Trudeau’s welcome and also issued dress code instructions for its officials and members of SGPC’s internal security task force.
The SGPC has arranged a specially crafted 24-karat goldplated portrait of the shrine and a gold-plated ‘Sri Sahib’ (a small six-inch sword) to be presented to Trudeau along with a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) and a shawl.
In a statement, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said if Trudeau comes to pay obeisance at the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, he will be honoured there too.
AKALIS SLAM CENTRE
Meanwhile, SGPC members belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is a partner in the BJP-led Union government, slammed the Centre for keeping Trudeau’s visit “low key” and assigning a junior minister to receive him at the Delhi airport. Gurcharan Singh Grewal, a senior SGPC member and president of Sikh Students Federation, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi discriminated with Trudeau by skipping his reception, while he has welcomed warmly other world leaders during their visit to India. “This has left the Sikhs disappointed,” he said.