Cricket can wait, faith can’t: Punjab CM Mann hits out at Centre
On Sunday, the Union government refused permission to Sikh jathas to visit Pakistan, citing security concerns. The ministry of external affairs, in a letter to the chief secretaries of Punjab and neighbouring states, stated that the current security situation between India and Pakistan made it unsafe for pilgrims to travel.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday hit out at the BJP-led central government for refusing permission to Sikh jathas (groups of pilgrims) to visit Pakistan for the Sikhism founder, Guru Nanak’s Parkash Gurpurab in November, accusing the government of “double standards.”
Questioning the Centre’s advisory, Mann asked when a cricket match between India and Pakistan was allowed during the Asia Cup, why the Sikh jathas were being denied the opportunity to pay obeisance at their shrines. He said that it was difficult to understand whether the BJP’s policy was against Pakistan or against its own people, alleging that the decision reflected their ‘hostile attitude’ towards Punjab.
“They should either allow all kinds of engagements with Pakistan or stop everything. The release of films has been halted, and jathas have not been allowed to go to Pakistan due to deteriorating ties between the two nations. Yet, cricket matches have been allowed with Pakistan because ‘bade sahib ka ladla’ heads the cricket body,” he said in a dig at Union home minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah.
India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Dubai on Sunday when the arch-rivals faced off for the first time since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, and the subsequent military strikes by India targeting terror hideouts across the border. The match became a flashpoint of intense debate, with political parties, leaders, and the kin of the Pahalgam victims demanding a boycott of the clash due to cross-border links of the dastardly terror act.
On Sunday, the Union government refused permission to Sikh jathas to visit Pakistan, citing security concerns. The ministry of external affairs, in a letter to the chief secretaries of Punjab and neighbouring states, stated that the current security situation between India and Pakistan made it unsafe for pilgrims to travel.
Mann asked the central government about its sudden compulsion to hold the match with Pakistan. “Everyone knows how Pakistan will use this money, given its anti-India stance. If India can play a cricket match with Pakistan, then why can’t pilgrims visit Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib to pay obeisance? Cricket can wait, but faith cannot,” he insisted.
The chief minister challenged BJP leaders - (state president) Sunil Jakhar and (Union minister of state) Ravneet Singh Bittu, to explain why the central government was not allowing the jathas.
“For us, these issues are not related to politics or business, but concern our emotions. These sacred places are revered by Punjabis as the greatest centres of faith and devotion,” he added. He demanded that the Kartarpur Sahib corridor should be opened and jathas allowed to pay obeisance at their revered shrines in Pakistan.
‘Flood relief funds still awaited’
Mann further stated that the state government had yet to receive the flood relief funds announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the state. “It is unfortunate that when disaster strikes Afghanistan, the central government rushes to send aid to them. But now, when Punjab is reeling under devastating floods, they have not released the rightful funds owed to Punjab. The central government has not even disbursed the ₹1,600 crore announced by the PM,” he added.
Mann also sought an inquiry by the central government into an online advertisement issued by an association of advertisers that sought funds for flood relief in Punjab in the name of the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He pointed out that they were not asking for funds for Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh, but only for Punjab and not for the CM’s Relief Fund. “Who are they (a private association) to ask for funds to lend a hand to Punjab. The Prime Minister should clarify how his name was being used,” he said.
