Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had acceded to their demand to allow Punjab pilgrims stranded at Nanded in Maharashtra to return home.
The Chief Minister had urged the Union Home Minister on this after his Maharasthra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray had said that the Centre’s permission was required for that.
Capt Amarinder had spoken to Thackery, who had said that permission would be needed from the Centre for the return of the stranded pilgrims in view of the national lockdown.
The Chief Minister then wrote to Shah, urging him to allow the return of the pilgrims, stranded at Gurdwara Sri Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra amid lockdown due to Covid-19, by bus to Punjab.
“Just received a call from MH CM @OfficeofUT who confirmed that HM @AmitShah Ji has conceded to our request for travel of our pilgrims stuck in Hazur Sahib, Nanded to Punjab. Have asked Chief Secretary to tie up logistics & we will bear the cost of transportation. Thank you all!” tweeted Capt Amarinder.
The Chief Minister, in his audio message, aid that the Punjab Government has arranged buses for the safe return of all the pilgrims, and the entire expenditure for these would be bear by the State Government.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked Amit Shah for speaking to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for the evacuation of Sikh devotees stranded at the historic Gurdwara Hazur Sahib at Nanded.
The Bathinda MP also asked the Punjab Government to permit buses in which devotees were being brought to the state from Maharashtra.
“Came to Delhi to meet HM @AmitShah ji & thank him for speaking to Maharashtra CM today to fast track repatriation of Sikh devotees stranded at Hazur Sahib. Now request Pb govt to give permission to buses arranged by SAD since 3 days to bring them back home at earliest (sic),” Harsimrat tweeted.
Around 2,000 pilgrims from Punjab had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra before the lockdown was imposed. Due to the cancellation of trains, all devotees were stranded there.