New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Thursday that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed to join the first all-party ‘jatha’ (delegation) to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara to join the mega event after the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. Amarinder had a meeting with the former Prime Minister before making the announcement.
The Punjab Chief Minister has also invited President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, including the historic opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. In separate meetings with the president and the prime minister here, Amarinder urged them to join the mega celebrations to mark the auspicious occasion.
Amarinder told mediapersons that both Kovind and Modi had accepted the Punjab government’s invitation to be part of the historic celebrations and that the modalities of their visits would be chalked out after the Kartarpur Corridor opening programme was finalised with Pakistan.
An official spokesperson said the details of the events were shared with the President and Prime Minister and they were requested by Amarinder to attend the programmes as per their convenience.
However, the official added that the Chief Minister had particularly urged both Kovind and Modi to take part in the Kartarpur Corridor opening at Dera Baba Nanak and the main programme at Sultanpur Lodhi, November 12.
“Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh accepts Captain Amarinder Singh’s invite to join 1st Jatha to Sri Kartarpur Gurdwara, Nov 9, will also attend Sultanpur Lodhi main event,” media adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Raveen Thukral said in a tweet.
During his meeting with the Prime Minister, Amarinder also urged for his personal intervention to facilitate the political clearance for allowing the special all-party ‘jatha’ to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, the birth place of the first Sikh guru, on the historic occasion.
PTI