Randhawa takes strong exception to decision of Modi government to construct parallel stage for inauguration of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor

Chandigarh, October 31, 2019: Punjab Cooperation Minister Mr Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa today took strong exception to the decision of the Narendra Modi government to construct parallel stage for the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
He sought immediate intervention of Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi to end this unsolicited controversy while blasting the move as brazen violation of the centre-state relations, especially federal spirit of Indian constitution.
In a letter to Prime Minister, Mr Randhawa said, “I have been having regular meetings with all the central agencies concerned 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 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 was nothing but playing petty politics and that too on such a pious occasion.
He 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 ideal society. The Corridor inauguration had coincided with 550th anniversary celebrations of the founder of the Sikh Faith whose teachings are universal.
Mr Randhawa pointed out that the foundation stone function on November 26, 2018 in which the Vice President Mr M Venkaiah Naidu participated was organised by the Punjab government and not any central agency. That function was an example of total coordination between the state government and the central agencies.
He asserted that was essential that the same protocol must be maintained while assuring that perfect coordination would be maintained this time too between the Punjab government and the central agencies.