Don’t politicise 550th birth anniv of Guru Nanak: Randhawa
Monday, 08/07/2019
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CHANDIGARH:Punjab cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has said that the politicisation of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev should be avoided.
“The state government, of which I am part, is committed to celebrate the occasion in tandem with the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) under the aegis of Sri Akal Takht,” he issued a statement, adding, “A recent development in which SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal accompanied a delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to invite PM Narendra Modi leaves a sour taste, as it smacks of politicisation of the sacred occasion.” SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had led the delegation on July 1 and they had invited the PM to Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12. “At this stage, any controversy can put a spanner in the preparation for the event. It would have been better had the invitations been extended jointly on behalf of the Punjab government and the SGPC. The state government is duly elected by the people of Punjab andis their representative,” Randhawa added.
He added that perfect coordination between the SGPC and the Punjab government was the need of the hour as it would send a positive signal on the celebrations.
