Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, his family pay obeisance at Golden Temple

Tribune News Service

GS PAUL

Amritsar, October 26

Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here on Wednesday.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami welcomed the dignitaries upon their arrival at the Golden Temple.

Accompanied by his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, daughter and grandson, he also partook the 'langar' (community kitchen) while sitting in the ‘pangat’ (line). Later, he performed ‘sewa’ of cleaning up the dishes at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee Langar Hall.

Amid tight security, the V-P and his family took rounds of the ‘parikrama’. After offering prayers at the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine, he also sat for a few minutes for the Gurbani kirtan.

The SGPC president submitted a memorandum to the V-P demanding to fulfil the long pending demand of releasing the ‘Bandi Singhs’ (Sikh political prisoners) languishing in jails of various parts of the country, despite completion of their sentence.

Last month, the SGPC had sought appointment from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for a meeting to discuss the same issue, but none of their offices could spare time for it.  

Dhami said the issue was the "most important for the community as the Sikh prisoners had not been released even after they had completed their sentences.

"The Centre had not given us time to listen to our demand of releasing 'Bandi Singhs' but the V-P's visit has given us an opportunity to give him our representation pertaining to them, he said. 

In the visitors’ book, the V-P penned his experience as: ‘Blessed to have visited Darbar Sahib today. The peace, serenity, devotion and sense of service here is an unforgettable experience. A glowing symbol of the sublime spiritual tradition of our great Gurus, Harmandir Sahib has been emanating the message of love, humanity, compassion and brotherhood through eyes.”

He was presented with a replica of the Golden Temple. Shawls and siropas were presented to all the visitors by the SGPC. It was the V-P’s maiden visit to Amritsar after becoming the 14th President of India.

He also visited the Jallianwala Bagh to pay homage to the martyrs.

Earlier, he was welcomed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport by former Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan among others.

During his day-long visit, the V-P will also visit Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath temple.

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