Punjab seeks Modi's intervention on Kartarpur corridor opening

Punjab Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention over the Centre's decision to construct a parallel stage for the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Sahib Corridor next month.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Randhawa said: "I have been having regular meetings with all Central agencies while making preparations for the inaugural function and never even a hint was given about the Central government planning separate stage."

"Moreover, all these Central agencies have been regularly inspecting the stage construction and other preparations for the inaugural function by the Punjab government," he said.

He said the decision to go in for a separate stage at this juncture, when the state government had already completed about 90 per cent of the work "is nothing but playing petty politics and that too on such a pious occasion".

The Minister said it was at Kartarpur Sahib that Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh Faith, spent his last 17 years and gave practical shape to his unique socio-economic model for the development of an ideal society.

The corridor is being inaugurated as part of the 550th anniversary celebrations of the founder of the Sikh faith whose teachings are universal.

Randhawa said the foundation stone function on November 26, 2018, in which Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu participated, was organised by the Punjab government and not by any Central agency.

That function was an example of total coordination between the state government and the Central agencies.

He said it was essential that the same protocol be followed, while assuring that perfect coordination would be maintained this time too between the Punjab government and the Central agencies.

Modi will address a public gathering at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district after inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, say sources in the Union Home Ministry. IANS