BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, Vinod Khanna on Sunday assured that the critical and emotional issue of seeking access to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan via Dera Baba Nanak village in Batala (India) will be resolved.
Dera Baba Nanak falls in Gurdaspur lok Sabha constituency and is just 4 kilometre away from Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib.He promised the people that this international issue will be resolved by the Modi Government so that the Sikhs and other devotees can visit the Gurudwara without much hassle.
Khanna said Gurdaspur MP, Pratap Singh Bajwa did not raise this issue at all in the Parliament despite having his own Government at the Centre. “This shows his two faced nature and his negligence towards Sikhs and their issues,” he said. Currently, devotees from India who wish to visit the Gurdwara, have to travel via lahore by seeking a visa and other necessary permissions. This makes the travel a roundabout and tedious affair. As the shrine lies only 4-kilometres away from the Indian Border via the Dera Baba Nanak route, there is a huge demand from the devotees to start a passage on this route. Every year, about 15,000 to 20,000 people from India visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.
Speaking about the importance of having cordial relationship with the neighbour, the three-time MP said that his constituency adjoins the border and it is very crucial for him to advocate a positive relationship with Pakistan. He promised that Modi Government will enhance the India-Pakistan relationship.
Speaking at Bhoa earlier, Khanna said that BJP-led NDA will form the next Government. He said ‘It is not just about victory, but a landslide victory.’ He also said that BJP-Akali combine will win all 13 seats in Punjab.Khanna was campaigning in the Bhoa Assembly constituency area, where he held more than 40 corner public meetings and rallies. He said people are fed up with Congress rule. He said UPA II had failed in every manner and that people were eager to throw them out.