Sidhu, Longowal, Aujla leave for Pakistan

AMRITSAR: Punjab local bodies and tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal and Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla on Tuesday crossed the border through Attari to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on the Pakistani side for the construction of corridor to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

The three left separately. The ceremony, which is slated on Wednesday, will be presided over by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. To represent the Indian government, Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri will leave for the neighbouring country on Wednesday morning via the same route.

Before crossing over the border in the afternoon, Sidhu said he will bring “holy soil” from the historic shrine of Kartarpur.

Longowal said he appreciated the approach of the governments of India and Pakistan on the corridor issue. “It is the biggest gift to the Sikh community on the 550th Parkash Parv of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, to be marked in 2019..

He took along holy water from the Golden Temple sarovar (holy tank) among other things to Pakistan. SGPC spokesperson Diljit Bedi said former PSGPC president Bishan Singh and Sikh leaders welcomed Longowal in Pakistan warmly. Longowal will stay at Lahore on Tuesday, he said.

Aujla, who walked barefoot to the other side, also took along holy water of ‘sarovar’ which will be sprinkled during the groundbreaking ceremony.

He said the “petty politics” at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the corridor at Dera Baba Nanak on Monday was highly avoidable.