Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday, 18 November, led a 15-member jatha of his Cabinet colleagues and their family members to Pakistan's Narowal district and paid obeisance at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, news agency ANI reported.
This comes a day after the Kartarpur Corridor was opened on Wednesday after being shut for more than 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CM Channi-led delegation left for the gurdwara via the Kartarpur Corridor on the eve of Guru Nanak's birth anniversary.
Saying he was fortunate to be able to pay homage at the historic gurdwara, CM Channi had earlier said that they would pray for prosperity, peace and harmony for both the nations.
“Our Gurus showed the path of humility, unity, peace, and welfare and the corridor will play a pivotal role in realising the thoughts of our guru,” he said, according to Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, a jatha of the Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit, led by state unit president Ashwani Kumar Sharma, also left for gurdwara in Pakistan on Thursday, reported Hindustan Times.
“Today, we are going to pay obeisance at the gurdwara and pray for brotherhood and peace in Punjab. We will pray for the country getting prosperous and most powerful. Besides, we will pray for the wellbeing of all,” Sharma told Hindustan Times.
Channi, along with Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla, MLAs Harpartap Singh Ajnala, and Barindermeet Singh Pahra, had crossed over to Pakistan at around 1 pm, officials said in Dera Baba Nanak, ET reported.
Aam Aadmi Party Denied 'Political Clearance'
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Punjab party unit in-charge Raghav Chadha informed that a delegation of AAP, comprising MPs and MLAs, has been denied permission to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, ANI reported.
He added, "We have not received 'political clearance' due to match-fixing between Punjab and Central governments."
In a video statement, Chhadha later said, "On the other hand, all ministers and MLAs of the Congress party received permission. However, AAP's delegation has not been given clearance."
He also added, "There shouldn't have been any politics in this. This is hurtful and hints towards an understanding between the Centre and Punjab's Congress government."
The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was reopened on Wednesday, 17 November, two days before the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
On Wednesday, the first jatha had made its way to the historic gurdwara after the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
Comprising 50 members, including the Panj Pyare (five beloved), the jatha crossed over to Pakistan at 11 am, Hindustan Times reported.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and ANI.)
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