The Centre will look into a request for expanding the network of Patna Metro Rail up to the renowned Sikh shrine Sri Takht Harmandir Patna Sahib Gurudwara, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.
Puri, who holds the crucial portfolios of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, was in the Bihar capital to attend a function at the Sikh pilgrimage site on the occasion of Veer Baal Diwas’, which is being observed in memory of the martyrdom of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
The Patna Sahib Gurudwara is situated at the place where the 10th Sikh Guru was born four centuries ago. The function was also attended by a number of senior BJP leaders, including former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, whose Lok Sabha constituency is named after the shrine.
Speaking on the occasion, Prasad urged Puri to consider expansion of the Patna Metro Rail up to the Gurudwara. Later, talking to reporters, Puri said, “As of now, we are in receipt of a written request for linking the Gurudwara with Patna Metro, from Prasad. We will undertake a survey to study the feasibility.
He, however, added that “a headway can be made only after we receive a formal proposal for expansion of the project by the Bihar government. Metro rail projects are a collaboration between the Centre and the states concerned”. Sikhs from across the country as well as abroad visit the Gurudwara for pilgrimage, especially during Prakash Parv’, the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.
Puri, who is the only Sikh in the Narendra Modi cabinet, offered prayers at the Gurudwara, interacted with members of the Sikh community and called on Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar before boarding his return flight. “An emotional journey at Takhat Sri Harmandir Ji, Patna Sahib on #VeerBaalDiwas. The resonance of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji’s respect for Sikh Guru Sahib Ji echoes in the impactful initiatives for our community. Today, I witnessed the enduring spirit of unity and progress, he wrote on X.
In another post, Puri lauded Modi’s “affection towards the Sikh Sangat”, which was reflected “in the several large hearted initiatives taken under his visionary leadership for welfare… from the time he assumed responsibility as India’s Pradhan Sevak”. Earlier in the day, Puri said India is on the cusp of making history, as it looks forward to becoming a developed nation by 2047. “Under the leadership of Modi, we have become the fifth-largest economy in the world. Very soon, we shall be among the top three, the Union minister said, after offering prayers at the Gurudwara.
Comments
0 comment