Stage set for Maghi Mela: Cong, AAP won’t hold meet for 2nd yr

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 13

As the Congress and AAP have decided against holding political conferences on Maghi (January 14) during the annual Maghi Mela, the annual religious event is likely to remain free of political slugfest.

However, the SAD (Badal), SAD (Amritsar) and Insaaf Team (a group of some youngsters) are holding the conferences. All gurdwaras have been decked up and langars started at many places for the occasion. A cattle market has also been set up near the town. Nearly 5,500 cops have been deployed to keep a watch on every minute development and manage traffic in and around the town. The SSPs of Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa are monitoring the situation.

“The patrolling has been increased, CCTV cameras installed. The town has been divided into seven sectors for better co-ordination of staff. Besides, the digital map of the town has been released for the ease of devotees. Some traffic diversions too have been made and sign boards put up,” said Muktsar SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi.

The Congress has decided to send a delegation of ministers, including Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Sarkaria and PCC chief Sunil Jakhar.

“Two Cabinet ministers and PCC chief are likely to come tomorrow. The ministers will come from Chandigarh in a chopper and state party unit chief will come from Delhi. They will pay obeisance at the gurdwara and take part in langar. Besides, they will digitally inaugurate the construction of town’s maiden railway over bridge at the helipad,” said Harcharan Singh ‘Sotha’, Muktsar Congress chief.

The SAD has erected a tent at the SGPC ground on Malout road. Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’, SAD’s Muktsar chief, said: “The senior leadership of SAD-BJP will address the public. The sitting arrangement for nearly 55,000 people has been made. Besides, the parking lots have been made in over 25 acres.”

The SAD (Amritsar), led by Simranjit Singh Mann, will hold a conference at the Bhai Mastaan Singh Road. Lok Insaaf Party founder MLA Simarjit Singh Bains and his supporters today cleaned the road from Kotkapura road bypass to the gurdwara. Bains said he had come as a devotee, not a leader.

Capt’s appeal ‘ignored’

• CM Capt Amarinder Singh had appealed to all parties on January 4 not to hold any political conference during the Maghi to maintain the sanctity of the occasion
• SAD is likely to target Congress on its unfulfilled poll announcements, farmer suicides, drugs, unemployment and ‘rise’ of radicals in state
• SAD (Amritsar) is likely to raise issue of Khalistan and Insaaf Team may raise the demand of poppy cultivation in state.