Plaque replaced as SAD, Congress spar

MAAN (GURDASPUR): Politics scalded the religious spirit of the foundation stone laying ceremony of Kartarpur Sahib corridor on Monday as SAD and Congress netas targeted rival parties and raised slogans in the presence of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, disregarding protocol.

Naidu and Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Monday laid the digital foundation stone of a road project that will link the Kartarpur corridor by pressing a button. The actual foundation stone was removed by authorities just three hours before the event after Punjab cabinet minister and local legislator Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa objected to the names of former CM Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Badal on the foundation stone.

Randhawa said he would ‘boycott’ the ceremony and even put black tape on the stone where the names of CM Amarinder Singh, PWD minister Vijay Singla and his own were.

Officials of the National Highway Authority of India then removed the foundation stone and replaced it with the digital one. The foundation on the screen carried the names of Vice-President Naidu, Punjab governor V P Singh Badnore, Amarinder and Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

“The Badals have no contribution in getting the Kartarpur corridor project cleared.They’re trying to take credit just because (Akali Dal) have an alliance with BJP,” the minister said.