Chandigarh: Objecting to the decision of Government of India to cancel the visit of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan on the occasion of `Parkash Purab’ (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev – the founder of Sikhism - the Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday demanded the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor for the Sikh pilgrims for the said occasion.
It may be recalled that the Union government has denied permission - citing security concerns - for the Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan for the said occasion, which is held in November, and the move has whipped up a political row in Punjab with all the major political parties tearing into the BJP-led Central government accusing it of ``double standards’’ in light of allowing a T-20 cricket match between India and Pakistan and Dubai.
Addressing newspersons here, Mann demanded the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and permission for Sikh pilgrims to pay obeisance at their most revered shrines – Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib – and said that he would soon be writing to Centre in the context.
The chief minister bemoaned that ``when the Cricket Board is in the hands of Home Minister Amit Shah’s son, holding a match with Pakistan suddenly becomes a compulsion for the Indian government’’. Mann said that ``if India can play a cricket match with Pakistan, then why can’t pilgrims visit Sri Kartarpur Sahib and Sri Nankana Sahib to pay obeisance’’?
Mann said that ``it is unfortunate that when disaster strikes Afghanistan, the BJP led national government rushes to send aid to them’’. However, he said that now when Punjab is facing devastating floods, the BJP-led central government didn’t even release the rightful funds owed to Punjab.
He further alleged that packages are given to the state as per the schedule of the elections due to which Assam, Bihar and other states are getting huge packages for development whereas Punjab has been deliberately left behind for flood relief.
