BJP leaders meet PM Narendra Modi to discuss reopening of Kartarpur Corridor

A delegation of Punjab BJP leaders has a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi  on Sunday. The agenda was primarily to  request the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor to Pakistan. 

State BJP president Ashwani Sharma, senior leader Harjeet Singh Grewal, National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, state in-charge Dushyant Gautam, party spokesperson RP Singh, and the party’s leader from Delhi Tejinder Bagga were among those who met with the Prime Minister today. 

Bikramjit Singh Cheema, a member of the delegation, stated that the Sikh community believes that the Kartarpur corridor, which was closed due to the COVID pandemic outbreak, should now be reopened with precautions.

He also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for forming a special investigation team to look into the 1984 Sikh massacre. While the Congress went on to appoint some of those accused of being involved in the riots as ministers, he claimed that it was Prime Minister Modi who took the initiative by forming the SIT. 

Harjeet Singh Grewal, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said they asked the PM to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor, which has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020. “We are quite hopeful that the PM will consider our request so that some good news comes on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. We are all soldiers of the PM and we are quite sure he will do something good for the followers of Guru Nanak,” he added.

When asked if there had been any discussions about the farmers’ protests, Grewal said state president Ashwani Sharma would give a press briefing later. There has been widespread speculation that the BJP will resolve the farm law crisis before the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh elections early next year. 

The delegation also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for assisting in the evacuation of the Granth Sahib from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover. The delegation further thanked the PM for assisting in the rescue of the Afghan Sikhs, said Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna.

The re-opening of the Kartarpur Corridor is a touchy subject in Punjab, which goes to the polls in February 2022. After being formally opened in November 2019, the Corridor had only been operational for a short time.