Ahead of MC elections, Khattar calls on Karnal gurdwara head

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 25

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday visited a gurdwara in Sector 6 in the city and met the gurdwara head Baba Kashmira Singh.

Claiming it be a formal meeting, Khattar said he had gone there to enquire about the health of Baba Kashmira Singh. Sources in the BJP, however, said it was an attempt to pacify the Sikh community before the Karnal MC elections, scheduled to be held on December 16.

Some members of the Sikh community had got agitated in September after the last-minute cancellation of the CM’s visit to the Dachar gurdwara as a photograph of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was displayed in the langar hall of the gurdwara. The community members had also announced to boycott the BJP leaders in October.

“I came here to meet Baba Kashmira Singh as his health was not good and he was admitted to a hospital in Delhi. I have cordial relations with him,” said the CM. Sources said the party had been trying its best to pacify Sikhs.

Meanwhile, some people raised eyebrows over the visit of the CM to the gurdwara and said that a photo of Bhindranwale was also displayed at the entry gate of this gurdwara, asking then why did he visit this gurdwara. They claimed it to be a politically motivated step. “We came here to object to the visit, but our elders did not allow us to create ruckus as the CM is coming to ‘gurughar’ to pay obeisance, so we have dropped our plan,” said Sangram Singh, a youth outside the gurdwara.

Jagmohan Anand, district chief BJP, denied any political motive behind the visit, adding the CM had great respect for the Sikh religion.