THERE’S NO INTOLERANCE IN INDIA, SAYS ADNAN SAMI
NEW DELHI: “Bhar do jhoili meri ya Muhammad,” sang Adnan Sami in the 2015 blockbuster 'Bajrangi Bhaijan' and on Friday, his wish was granted in the form of a certificate of naturalisation that he received from minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju.
After formally becoming an Indian citizen, a beaming Sami, who was accompanied by his German wife Roya Faryabi, said there is no intolerance in India, when he was asked about the concerns raised by Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.
“Had there been intolerance, I would not have taken Indian citizenship. I have never experienced intolerance. There is no intolerance in India,” Sami said, however adding that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion and that their remarks were perhaps based on their own experiences.
After becoming an Indian citizen, Sami, through a series of tweets, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh, his deputy Kiren Rijiju and termed his naturalisation as a new birth.
He also wrote ‘Jai Hind’ in one of his tweets, also adding an emoticon of the Indian flag. He later told reporters that the love and support of 1.2 billion Indians will bring more passion in his singing.
Sami was born on August 15, 1969, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His father Arshad Sami Khan is deceased and mother Naureen Sami Khan is a Pakistani citizen.
Taking the oath of allegiance to the Constitution, Sami said he will abide to all laws of India faithfully.
Sami also sang “Teri oonchi shaan hai maula...meri arji maan le maula…mujhko bhi to lift kara de” after he received his citizenship certificate from Rijiju at North Block.
Asked how he felt after becoming an Indian citizen, Sami said there was no difference as the taste of ‘biryanis’ was same in both the countries.
“And I have had enough of ‘biryanis’ in both Pakistan and India,” he said. On PM Modi’s Lahore visit, Sami said he was very happy that Modi was making efforts to improve relations with the country. AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday dismissed four of the Panj Pyaras, charging them with violation of the SGPC service rules, indulging in anti-panthic activities and trying to weaken Sikh religious institutions, including the Akal Takht.
Those dismissed are Satnam Singh Khanda, Satnam Singh, Tirlok Singh and Mangal Singh. No action was taken against Major Singh, who retired on Thursday.
The decision was taken at the emergency meeting of the SGPC executive here. Its president Avtar Singh Makkar presided over the meeting that lasted for almost five hours.
The decision of the executive comes a day ahead of the deadline set by the Panj Pyaras for the dismissal of the jathedars of Akal Takht, Takht Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib for their role in pardoning Sirsa dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case.
Whenthefivehadfirstpassedthis orderinoctober,theyweresuspended by the executive and transferred fromamritsar.later,thesuspension orderswerewithdrawnbutnottheir transfers.