JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRA
India Post News Service
PHAGWARA: Alleging that certain vested interests were giving a political color to Delhi’s Ravidas temple demolition issue, Hoshiarpur MP and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash has assured followers of Guru Ravidas that the temple will be rebuilt.
During a whirlwind thanks-giving tour of 50 villages in Phagwara assembly segment, Parkash said that he had held a meeting with seers of Ravidas Sadhu Sampardai about the issue, assuring them of its rebuilding. “A religious issue is being made political by vested interests but I assure followers of Guru Ravidas that the temple will be rebuilt,” he said. Addressing various gathering for thanking people for his victory from Hoshiarpur as MP, Som Parkash said that he will always remain committed to constituents of Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha and Phagwara assembly segment.
“I will bring central scheme and development grants for the area,” he declared. Parkash had represented Phagwara (Reserved) assembly seat twice as MLA before becoming MP from Hoshiarpur (Reserved) Lok Sabha constituency. He inaugurated tiles interlocking system in Sangatpur village and planted saplings for eco-friendly environment at historic village Palahi.
The saplings were planted at the village ITI with the cooperation of S. Jagat Singh Palahi Memorial Charitable Trust in dedication to the coming 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith. Addressing a gathering, Som Parkash emphasized that trees are sine qua non for an eco-friendly environment.
Calling upon the people to plant the maximum number of trees, the minister asked them to pledge to plant five saplings on their birthdays. Chairman of Palahi’s Private Industrial Training Institute and eminent educationist Jatinderpal Singh Palahi declared that 550 saplings will be planted in to mark the coming birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Besides Palahi, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Sarwan Singh Kular, BJP leader Inderjeet Singh Khalyan and others welcomed the minister.
Cancelling all his other public engagements, Parkash immediately left for New Delhi on hearing about the death of his mentor and former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, describing the death as his personal loss.
