Chandigarh, Dec 12 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday urged Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to refrain from acts that might scuttle the access to the sacred and historic shrine at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and vitiate the atmosphere for the culmination of the 'ardas' of millions of Sikhs.
In a statement here, Mr Badal described the proposed opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor as a great and glorious collective achievement of the entire Khalsa Panth, beyond political or partisan lines. Although the movement for the opening of the corridor was started and pursued persistently with religious fervour and zeal by SAD stalwarts like Master Tara Singh ji, Sant Fateh Singh ji, Sant Longowal ji, Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Sahib, Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi Sahib and Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala apart from Mr Parkash Singh Badal and lakhs and lakhs of followers of the party, it (the corridor) still remains a non-partisan achievement of the Sikh masses who prayed for it in their daily 'ardas' for the past 70 years.
'The SAD in fact humbly acknowledges the role played by everyone across party lines and expresses its gratitude to each one of them for that. We have enough other issues to debate over in political life. The Kartarpur Sahib corridor is a sacred and collective non-political and religious achievement of the community and must be celebrated as such."
Mr Badal said that the Centre must be conscious of the worries expressed by Capt Singh on the security aspect and must have factored these into their decision on the opening of the corridor.
"We need to first thank the government of India for taking the initiative that the corridor will be built by the Centre and then we are grateful to the government and people of Pakistan for responding to India's initiative. Captain Sahib should leave the security concerns to those in charge of it. If ever a threat to the country arises on the Punjab border, the Punjabis in general and the Sikhs in particular know how to give a befitting reply to that. We must remember that it was the initiative of the Government of India which forced the neighbours to expedite matters. But we are still thankful to them for their gesture."
UNI DB SB 2016