Dhaliwal thanks CM Bhagwant Mann for granting Holy City status to three historic Sikh cities
Punjab Newsline, Amritsar/Chandigarh-
Welcoming a decision long awaited by the Sikh community, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Sunday strongly endorsed Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s move to grant Holy City status to Amritsar (Walled City), Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo.
Dhaliwal described the notification as a historic milestone, thanked the Chief Minister for taking a decisive step rooted in faith and respect, and said that Bhagwant Mann has delivered on the commitment made to the Sikh community by formally recognising these cities as sacred centres of spiritual heritage.
Dhaliwal said that successive opposition governments in Punjab, particularly the Akali Dal, repeatedly indulged in politics in the name of the Panth but failed to deliver concrete respect to Sikh religious heritage. “In Punjab, many Chief Ministers ruled who called themselves Panthic and did politics in the name of the Panth. They remained busy searching for titles like ‘Fakhr-e-Qaum’ for themselves, but never granted official Holy City status to these sacred lands blessed by the Gurus. Every election manifesto of the opposition carried this promise, but once in power, they conveniently forgot it,” Kuldeep Dhaliwal said.
Expressing deep emotion, the AAP Spokesperson said, “I feel extremely proud today that the promise made by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on the sacred soil of Sri Anandpur Sahib has now been translated into action through a formal notification. These three cities are directly associated with the Takht Sahiban of Sikhism and are located on the land of Punjab. Restoring their honour was a dream cherished by every Punjabi,” he said.
Concluding his statement, Dhaliwal congratulated the entire Sikh Sangat and Punjabis living across India and abroad. “For the first time, a government has acted with genuine intent and granted Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo the respect and recognition they truly deserve. This decision of the Chief Minister has created a wave of happiness among Sikhs across the world,” he said.