All-party meet in Punjab for joint celebration of Prakash Purb

An all-party meeting held at the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday resolved to jointly celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev by participating in the state function being organised at Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12.

The meeting observed that even on earlier occasions, such celebrations had been organised by the state government, and leaders of all political parties had jointly participated in them, an official spokesperson told after the meeting here.

It was regretted that certain political parties, for their vested interest, had decided to break from the tradition and exploit this pious and historic occasion by holding parallel celebrations, sending a wrong message to the Sikh community across the world.

The meeting resolved that the state will invite leaders of all political parties, both state and national, for the November 12 function.

In keeping with the religious sentiment of the event, all speeches will be restricted to propagating the Guru's philosophy and his life, the official spokesperson said.

Besides the Chief Minister, the ruling Congress was represented at the meeting by Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sunil Jakhar.

Among the others who attended the meeting were Harbans Singh Kandhola (SAD-1920), Bhupinder Sambhar and Hardev Arshi (CPI), Gurparamjit Kaur Taggar (CPI-M), Sewa Singh Sekhwan (SAD-Taksali), Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi (Sant Samaj), Jasbir Singh Garhi (BSP), Manjit Singh Bilaspur and Harpal Singh Cheema (AAP).

The Chief Minister said the state had been keen that all parties and their representatives to join its main events, irrespective of their different political ideologies.

The historic occasion should have been kept above petty politics, he said, adding that he had also requested the Prime Minister for a single function, to which the latter had agreed but things eventually did not work out.

Lashing out at the Akalis for politicising the issue, the Chief Minister said he was in favour of joint celebrations from the outset and, in keeping with this sentiment, would be personally addressing the gathering from the stage at the event organised by the government of India at Dera Baba Nanak on November 9.

Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi said though the SGPC and Akal Takht had the right to celebrate religious functions like these, they were both unfortunately no longer independent bodies and were completely in the grip of one family.

( With inputs from IANS )