Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary: Punjab CM to invite President, PM on Thursday

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to extend an invitation for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev next month.

Amarinder Singh, who reached Delhi on Wednesday, would invite the both for the celebrations at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala on November 12, official sources said on Wednesday.

The chief minister's meeting with the President and the PM assumes significance after Punjab minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of ignoring the state government in extending the invitation.

On September 25, Jails Minister Randhawa had also accused SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal of being a "puppet" in the hands of the Badal family.

Randhawa was upset with the SGPC chief, who had accompanied SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, for extending an invitation to the President and the Prime Minister for the function at Sultanpur Lodhi while ignoring the state representative in the coordination panel formed for the joint celebrations.

Randhawa, who is the state government's representative in the coordination panel for finalising the programme, had also accused the Badal family of trying to "sabotage" the decision of the joint celebrations.