Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 9
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced to make Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib 'holy cities' if voted to power in the state.
The Delhi Chief Minister, who is on a five-day visit to Punjab, said the fight for making the state free of drugs and corruption had reached a decisive point.
After paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Kejriwal said he intended to make the walled city area of Amritsar liquor free. Also, no non-vegetarian items would be sold there.
The walled city area accommodates around 60 per cent of the city’s population and has narrow lanes surrounding the Sikhs’ holiest shrine. Mostly developed in the 17th and 18th century, it houses the historic Jallianwala Bagh also.
“Amritsar is an important city of Punjab where the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath temple are situated. The Golden Temple is a place where not only Sikhs, but people from all other religions come to pay obeisance.
“It is visited by devotees from all over the globe. AAP, after coming to power, will accord it holy city status in its true letter and spirit. Alcohol, meat items or tobacco products will be prohibited in the walled city area. Similarly, Anandpur Sahib will also be developed accordingly,” he said.
However at the last moment, he skipped going to the Durgiana Mandir. Party sources said there were some inputs that some BJP supporters might lodge a protest by showing black badges.
Later, he went to the residence of a former Akali leader, now Independent councillor Amarjit Singh Bhatia. Bhatia, who had attested as surety of AAP’s state affairs incharge Sanjay Singh in court in the defamation case filed by Cabinet minister Bikram Majithia in July, joined AAP in the presence of Kejriwal.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥