Punjab cabinet prays at Amritsar shrines
March 16th, 2012 - 11:55 pm ICT by IANS
Amritsar, March 16 (IANS) Led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the entire Punjab cabinet Friday offered prayers at religious shrines in this Sikh holy city, including the holiest of Sikh shrines ‘Harmandar Sahib’ (popularly known as Golden Temple).
Badal was accompanied by his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal president, and cabinet ministers, including alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers, in the government.
The cabinet offered prayers at the Golden Temple followed by Hindu shrines of Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath temple.
Later, they also visited the Jallianwala Bagh, the historic ground where hundreds were massacred by British forces during a peaceful freedom rally April 13, 1919, and offered tributes to the martyrs.
After visiting the shrines, the cabinet partook ‘langar’ (community kitchen food) at the Golden Temple complex.
Speaking to media after the visit, the chief minister said that the entire cabinet had came to these religious shrines to express their gratitude as the SAD-BJP alliance had staged a historic comeback in Punjab.
The Akali Dal-BJP alliance had returned to power earlier March after they won 68 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly. It is the first government in over 45 years to have returned to power for a second consecutive term.
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