Hardeep Singh Puri interacts with eminent Sikhs, discusses Modi govt's achievements

Hardeep Singh Puri. Pic/PTI

On Friday, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met with distinguished Sikhs to talk about the 10-year accomplishments of the Modi administration and the prime minister's "Viksit Bharat - 2047" goal. At the event that Puri organised at his home, notable Sikhs from all spheres of life joined in, and the minister emphasised how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has devoted his life to the community's well-being. Prominent lawyers, businessmen, scholars, military personnel, and politicians were among the attendees of the interactive session, "Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan", according to a PTI report.

The Sikh community, according to Puri, is small but unmatched in accomplishment. He named many community members, including fashion designers, chefs, the principals of Mata Sundri College for Women and Shriram College of Commerce, singer Daler Mehndi, civil servants, the president of Miranda House's governing body, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, senior advocate and former Punjab MLA HS Phoolka, former PNB chief SS Kohli, and Rajya Sabha ex-MP Tarlochan Singh. According to the minister, the Sikh community holds a particular place in the prime minister's heart and thoughts. "He desires to give this community its rightful place in the country," he noted, listing several initiatives taken by Modi for the community.

According to Puri, Sikhs are dispersed throughout India and the globe, and they have always held strong, unwavering confidence in and affection for the prime minister, dating back to his time as a "pracharak" and before he took over as head of the Centre in May 2014. "All his actions during the past 10 years speak for that love for the Sikh community, starting from (operationalising the) Kartarpur Sahib corridor to ropeways at gurdwara sahibs. The prime minister has always had this long-standing faith in the Sikh community. Today, I thought it would be appropriate to invite members of the Sikh community, cutting across segments," Puri said. Speaking on "Sikhs with NaMo", he said it is part of a series and expressed happiness that it got off to a flying start.

"We are holding another function on Sunday with members of the armed forces, police and civil services (personnel) and eminent intellectuals. We are holding another function with members of the tech community on May 20," the minister noted. Popular Punjabi singer Mehndi said Modi's love for Sikhs is sincere and added that he wished him well so that he can do more for the community's welfare. BJP leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Arvinder Singh Lovely said the prime minister has done a lot for the community and will continue his sincere efforts for the cause of the Sikhs. Sirsa also accused the Congress of being responsible for the attack on the Golden Temple and the killings of thousands of Sikhs in the riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.

(With Inputs from PTI)