Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to join the state government in celebrating the 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.The Chief Minister asked the SGPC to participate in the state organizing committee meeting to evolve consensus on various issues relating to the celebrations.Captain Amarinder made the request when an SGPC delegation, led by its President Gobind Singh Longowal, called on him to extend an invite for a mega event planned by them to celebrate the historic occasion.The Chief Minister assured the SGPC of all logistic support for their function, which he said he would attend along with his cabinet colleagues, MLAs and MPs.The Chief Minister asked the SGPC President to attend the meeting of State Level Organising Committee to be convened by him shortly to take a collective decision on the main event to be organized by the state government outside the gurdwara. He asked the SGPC keep an open mind on the issue of the main event, pointing out that the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib had already appealed to both SGPC and the State Government to commemorate this historic event jointly, in order to spread the message of universal love, harmony and religious tolerance, as propagated by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The Chief Minister also said that he would personally request Union Home Minister Amit Shah to also convene a meeting of the National Organising Committee to arrive at a broad consensus for giving final touches to the entire programme. He also assured the delegation that the ongoing infrastructure and development projects would be completed well within the time frame set for the purpose. On the request of Bibi Jagir Kaur, the Chief Minister asked the PWD Minister to work out an action plan to widen the few remaining roads leading to Sultanpur Lodhi from 18-23 feet to 33 feet.Noting that the celebration was a lifetime opportunity for all, Captain Amarinder reiterated the need to cut across political, social and religious lines to commemorate the mega event collectively. The State Government had chalked out an elaborate programme, inviting eminent personalities of different religions, academicians, Sikh scholars and other to attend this mega event, he said.Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Vijay Inder Singla, MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, Navtej Singh Cheema, Kuljit Singh Nagra and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon. The SGPC delegation included former Minister Tota Singh, DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa and President Takht Harmandir Patna Sahib Prabandhak Committee Avtar Singh Hit were among those who attended the meeting.