Capt govt trying to ‘weaken’ Akal Takht: Harsimrat

CHANDIGARH: UNION food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday accused the Punjab government of playing politics over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in November and trying to “weaken” highest temporal seat the Sikhs the Akal Takht.

The Bathinda MP also alleged that the state government has failed to execute any development project at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala where the main event for the birth anniversary celebration will be held.

Harsimrat’s reaction came a day after chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh rejected the apex gurdwara body SGPC’S charges of the state government being cold to participation in the Sikhism founder’s birth anniversary celebrations.

The union minister said all religious functions have always been organised under the aegis of the SGPC irrespective of the government in power at the Centre and state and pointed out that the SGPC is an elected body of Sikhs.

She said Akal Takht jathedar had appealed to everyone, including the state government to celebrate the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak, together.

She added that in 2017, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s government too had held the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh under the SGPC aegis and had not made it a government function.

“But it is painful to see that the state government wanted to weaken the Akal Takht by playing politics over this issue. You all have seen that on directions of the Akal Takht jathedar, the jathedars of all other Takhts told the chief minister that we should celebrate the function together,” she said.