Badal seeks Modi's intervention on deporting Sikh NRI
Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Oct, 2021 10:51 AM
Chandigarh, Oct 26 (IANS) Reacting strongly to the IGI airport authorities sending Darshan Singh Dhaliwal back to the US after denying him entry to India, five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "intervene personally and effectively" to get the order vacated.
Badal also requested the PM to personally invite Dhaliwal as a "goodwill gesture which will send a great positive signal to NRIs".
Dhaliwal was sent back from the Indira Gandhi International airport on October 23-24 night with the authorities saying that this was being done as a punishment for organizing a 'langar' or community kitchen for agitating farmers on Delhi borders.
Calling it as an affront to the "sacred practice of 'langar' started by the great Guru Sahiban", Badal also urged Modi to take stern action against the erring officials who "brought a bad name to the country with their action".
Badal said organising or sponsoring a sacred socio-religious work such as 'langar' has always been regarded as one of the highest and noblest duties for every devout follower of Sikhism.
"Doing so for the country's 'annadata' (bread winners) is a noble task that needs to be emulated rather than penalized."
Calling the on-going agitation of farmers "a national movement", Badal said there was nothing wrong or illegal in helping those taking part in this civilized, peaceful, democratic movement.
The former Punjab CM also spelt an agenda for agriculture, which, includes revocation of three black laws, taking stakeholders on board before any legislation affecting them, setting up a panel with farmers and farm experts to advise the government on agriculture policies and enlarging of the list of crops for ensured marketing with MSP.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi says people from China, including the Chinese nationals, have been able to travel to India despite the absence of direct air connectivity.
Personnel of Kolkata Police's Special Task Force ( STF) on Wednesday gunned down two Punjab gangsters believed to be involved in gun running and responsible for killing two policemen. The deceased duo has been identified as Jaspreet Jassi and Jaipal Bhullar.
In the early hours, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad were clobbered with heavy rain, inundating several low-lying areas, barely a fortnight after the city survived the Cyclone Tauktae devastation.
Anto Alphonse, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North Delhi, said that the police have arrested Kadir Ansari, 27, and Mohammad Arif, 37, both members of an inter-state drug smuggling racket active in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh with 32.5 Kg of cannabis.
The World Bank has lowered the growth projection for India for the financial year 2021-22 to 8.3 per cent. Its previous growth estimate for the fiscal was 10.1 per cent.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to register cases under the Disaster Management Act against Opposition leaders and activists who have been staging protests in the state over the past few days.
