Punjab’s youth, clad in red turbans, on Friday took a pledge against drugs, terrorism, separatism and corruption to maintain the unity and national integrity on the death anniversary of Punjab’s late Chief Minister Beant Singh.
A Sarv Dharma Prarthna Sabha (all religion prayer meeting) was organised at Beant Singh Memorial in Sector 42 on his Shahidi Diwas, during which Cabinet Ministers, leaders, and common people too paid floral tributes to the former Chief Minister who laid down his life fighting insurgency in Punjab.
The galaxy of leaders, including Cabinet Ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Vijay Inder Singla and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, hailed Beant Singh’s efforts for bringing peace in the State and ending terrorism.
They recalled Beant Singh’s services in restoring peace to the trouble-torn state of Punjab during the turbulent period of militancy saying that he is best remembered for providing strong and determined leadership to the state of Punjab in very troubled times.
Paying tributes, Congress MlA and Beant Singh’s grandson Gurkirat Singh Kotli said that the divisive forces are once again trying to disrupt the secularism of the State by supporting Referendum 2020 and spreading narco-terrorism but the people of Punjab would not let these divisive forces to succeed in their nefarious designs.
“The former CM worked tirelessly for reconstruction and reconciliation, and for restoration of peace and communal harmony...We will follow his footsteps and will purge the State from malice of drugs,” he said.
Kotli said that his grandfather had a very long innings in public life, spanning over four decades. “He showed an understanding and vision so rarely seen in public life. He brought new hope to Punjab and laid the foundation for the State's future progress. In this quest, he laid down his own life,” he added.
Besides Kotli, Beant Singh’s son and former Minister Tej Prakash Singh Kotli, daughter and former Minister Gurkanwal Kaur, and grandson and ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present on the occasion.
While the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was in the national capital to meet Union Ministers, many senior party leaders including Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mandi Board chairman lal Singh, among others were conspicuous by their absence.