PM targets Congress for letting Kartarpur Sahib stay in Pakistan during partition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Congress over India not having a corridor connecting Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan for seven decades and also over the key pilgrimage centre linked to Guru Nanak Dev being allowed to be in the neighbouring country during partition though it was only about four kilometre away from the international border.

Addressing an election rally at Ellenabad in Sirsa district, Modi said the distance between the holy place and the pilgrims will end through the corridor to be inaugurated next month and it had taken 70 years to do so.

"The distance between us and the holy place of our guru Kartarpur Sahib is going to end. The opportunity has come after seven decades. Seventy years have gone. What can be a bigger misfortune that we had to see the big centre of our faith through binoculars for seven decades," he said.

"Those responsible for deciding the boundary in 1947, did they not think that the devotees and the Guru should not be separated by four kilometres. After te this, should Congress not have tried to remove the distance in the last 70 years?" Modi asked.

The Prime Minister stated that the Central government is planning to celebrate this event around the world and a national highway will now be known as Guru Nanak Dev Marg."The BJP government is making efforts to familiarise the world with the historic occasion of 550th Prakash Parv. The national highway constructed between Kapurthala and Goindwal Sahib near Tarn Taran will now be known as Guru Nanak Devji Marg," Modi said.

He alleged that the Congress and its allies had not given respect to India's traditions."Congress and its allies have never given respect to the faith, traditions and culture of the Indians. The approach of Congress towards our places of worship, it is their same approach with Jammu-Kashmir. They kept on complicating the problems and did not make an honest attempt to solve them," Modi said.

The rally was held on the last day of campaign for assembly polls in Haryana.