Punjab Cabinet Minister and senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Sunday categorically said that the politicization of the occasion as sacred and pious as the 550th parkash purb of Guru Nanak Dev should be avoided at all costs “as the occasion is fast approaching and any controversy at this stage could put a spanner in the preparations”.
Randhawa said that the Punjab Government is committed to celebrate the occasion in full tandem with the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) under the aegis of Sikhs’ highest temporal seat, Akal Takht.
“But the recent development in which the SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal went with the delegation of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by its president Sukhbir Badal to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi does leave a sour taste as it smacks of politicizing the sacred occasion,” he said.
The Congress leader said that it would have been better had the invitations been extended jointly on behalf of the Punjab Government and the SGPC as the present State Government is duly elected by the people of Punjab and is their representative.
He also added that perfect coordination between the SGPC and the Punjab Government is the need of the hour as it would send all the positive signals concerning the celebrations.
Notably, past week, SAD delegation, led by Sukhbir, and comprising SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Sri Patna Sahib Board representative Avtar Singh Hit, and SAD’s Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundur had met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite him to attend the November 12 function at Sultanpur Lodhi—to which he agreed.
Sukhbir, after the meeting, had said that the Prime Minister had agreed to attend the function and even instructed the Union Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the nagar kirtan commencing from Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan — the birth place of the great Guru — on July 25.
The delegation had apprised the Prime Minister that the Sikh sangat worldwide wanted to mark the 550th anniversary celebrations by holding appropriate commemorative functions at all places visited by Guru Nanak Dev.
The Prime Minister had also assured to facilitate these functions through Indian Missions abroad and also assured to provide all needed support to the organizers. The SGPC is preparing a list of venues where functions will be held and the same will be released to the Sikh sangat soon.
Reacting strongly, Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had urged SAD president not to politicise the sacred event, rather “join hands with the State Government in ensuring a befitting celebration of the historic event.
He had claimed that the Prime Minister had already officially conveyed his confirmation, several days back, to the State Government on attending the historic occasion on November 12, as required by protocol.