NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Gurdwara Rakab Ganj where Guru Teg Bahadur was cremated in what was seen by many as an overture to protesting farmers — an overwhelming majority of whom are Sikhs from Punjab.
“This morning, I prayed at the historic Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, where the pious body of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was cremated. I felt extremely blessed. I, like millions around the world, am deeply inspired by the kindness of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji,” Modi tweeted after visiting the shrine and also shared pictures with devotees present at the gurdwara during his 20-minute stay there. The PM shared details of his visit in Gurmukhi also.
The surprise visit to the historic gurdwara came against the backdrop of Akali Dal’s allegation that BJP was trying to create a divide between Hindus and Sikhs and was widely interpreted as a message of reassurance to the latter. However, this was not the first instance of the PM showing his reverence to the ninth Guru of Sikhs, who is considered by many to be a symbol of Hindu-Sikh unity and whose 400th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year. The PM also talked about the important event in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ address. On Saturday, which happened to be the Guru’s birthday, he tweeted to mark the occasion.
Earlier this month, Modi invoked Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, at the ‘bhumi pujan’ ceremony for the new Parliament building. Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded on the orders of Aurangzeb when he stood up to the Mughal emperor against the forcible conversion of Hindus in Kashmir.
The gurdwara visit came amid a countrywide outreach to farmers and was interpreted by BJP circles as amplifying the perception that the government remains keen to engage farmers.