AMRITSAR: The Chief Minister of Punjab, Harcharan Singh Brar, said here Sept. 10th that he would preserve peace in Punjab “at all costs.”
Speaking to newspersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Brar said he would give top priority to the maintenance of peace in Punjab. But the immediate task on hand was to provide relief to thousands of persons hit by floods in various parts of the state.
After visiting the Golden Temple where he was honored by the SGPC with a “siropa,” the new Chief Minister paid homage to the martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh and visited Durgiana Mandir.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs R.L. Bhatia, Minister of State for Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, Dilbagh Singh, Mayor O.P. Soni and Chairman Improvement Trust Maninder Singh Heera were among those who accompanied Brar.
The SGPC general secretary, Darshan Singh Issapur, presented a model of the Golden Temple, a shawl and Sikh religious literature to the Chief Minister at a ceremony in the information office of the temple. The SGPC had boycotted former Chief Minister Beant Singh when he visited the Golden Temple after assuming office in February, 1992. SGPC officials said Beant Singh was not honored as he was not ready to recognize the corporate body of the SGPC formed under the Sikh Gurdwara Act. A first even newsman were prevented from entering the SGPC information office, outside the Golden Temple complex where the Chief Minister was presented with a “saropa,” an ITBP officer frisked newsmen before allowing them inside. All along the VIP route from Raja Sansi airport to the Golden Temple and then to Durgiana Mandir, Punjab police personnel Were present in strength.
Jagir Singh and Gurmej Singh, both ministers in the Beant Singh Ministry and hailing from this district, were conspicuous by their ‘absence.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 15, 1995
