Punjab CM rejects charges on celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev

Chandigarh, Sep 8 (IANS) Rejecting the SGPC charges against his government over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said a group of ministers had already been constituted to coordinate with the religious body to finalise the commemorative programme.The Chief Minister said cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O.P. Soni had been directed to discuss the modalities of the Prakash Purb celebrations with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).It was not the government which had shown no interest in holding a joint function, as directed by Akal Takht Sahib, but the SGPC that had been refusing to join the government in celebrating the historic occasion on a common platform, he added.Reiterating his appeal to the SGPC to support the government in commemorating the celebrations, Amarinder Singh urged the religious body's chief to keep an open mind on the issue.
--IANS vg/mag/