Akali rally violates Akal Takht hukamnama, says Tript Bajwa

Tribune News Service
Muktsar, January 14

Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Tuesday hit out at the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for organising a political conference on Maghi here.

“The Akalis have violated an edict of Akal Takht by holding political conferences on holy occasions,” he told the media after paying obeisance at historic gurdwara Darbar Sahib here.

“On the direction of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, I have got a chance to visit Muktsar on a holy occasion,” he said.

Last year too, Bajwa and another Caninet minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria had visited the gurdwara on Maghi Mela.

The Congress and the AAP have not organised conferences at Shaheedi Jor Mela and Maghi Mela since 2017 citing the Akal Takht’s call against mixing religion with politics.

To a query, Bajwa said Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed by the previous SAD-BJP government were the reason behind the increase in power tariff in the state.

On the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Bajwa said that as per the Constitution, no one could discriminate on the basis of religion.

Bajwa launched a robot purchased by the Water Supply and Sanitation Department for cleaning manholes and septic tanks. “If it is successful, the robot will be launched in other parts of the state as well,” he said.

Gidderbaha legislator Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former Muktsar MLA Karan Kaur Brar, district Congress president Harcharan Singh ‘Sotha’ Brar, and senior officials of the administration and the police were present.

No politics on religious occasion, says AAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers led by Faridkot ex-MP Sadhu Singh paid obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib here on Maghi. Jagdep Singh ‘Kaka’ Brar, AAP's Muktsar constituency incharge, said, “We have already announced that the party won't hold any political programme on any religious occasion, thus today we simply went to the gurdwara and paid obeisance.” TNS

SAD (A) praises Modi for Kartarpur corridor

The SAD (Amritsar) reiterated the demand for Khalistan at its political conference here on Tuesday. Hoardings with pro-Khalistan slogans were installed at the venue on the Dera Bhai Mastan Singh road. The party also passed some resolutions on the occasion. It hailed PM Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for opening the Kartarpur corridor, but also criticised immigration officials for allegedly harassing devotees visiting Pakistan via the corridor. TNS

Roadshow in favour of poppy cultivation

Activists of the Insaf Team Punjab took out a roadshow in protest against the state and Central governments here on Tuesday, demanding that the cultivation of poppy husk should be legalised in the state. Jagmeet Singh Jagga, president, Insaf Team Punjab, said: “We have been holding rallies for the past about three-and-a-half years. We also handed over memorandums to DCs of about 10 districts. We are not luring people to start poppy cultivation. All we are saying is that it will save farmers. But nobody is paying attention.” TNS

LIP workers clean roads leading to shrine

Lok Insaf Party (LIP) leader Balwinder Singh Bains, along with party workers, took up a cleanliness drive here on Tuesday. They cleaned roads, leading to Darbar Sahib gurdwara, and also paid obeisance. TNS

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