Resolution declares Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Galiara area around Golden Temple holy cities

Anandpur Sahib (Pb), Nov 24 (PTI) The Punjab Assembly Monday unanimously passed a resolution declaring Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and the Galiara area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar as holy cities.

There will be a complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor, meat and tobacco items at these places, according to the resolution.

The resolution on it was moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session of the Punjab Assembly, which was convened to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur here.

It was for the first time that a session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was held outside state capital Chandigarh.

The special session was held at Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial Park, which was designated as the assembly venue. The session was called to pay tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The Punjab government is organising a series of events from November 23-25 as part of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru.

Earlier, the House also passed another resolution to draw inspiration from Guru Tegh Bahadur's life and teachings to work towards the welfare and prosperity of the people of Punjab, promoting peace, tolerance and harmony in society.

According to a resolution moved by Education Minister and local MLA Harjot Singh Bains, the House expressed its deepest reverence and humbly bows down to the Sikh Guru in respect, devotion and faith.

The House resolved to pay its humble tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur and honour his memory by observing his 350th martyrdom anniversary with due solemnity and reverence.

The resolution also commended the Punjab government's efforts in organising various events and programmes to commemorate the occasion of the 350th year of martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, including the special assembly session, 'Nagar Kirtans', 'Kirtan Darbars', light and sound shows, drone shows and an 'Sarv Dharam Sammelan' (interfaith conference).

The House also resolved to continue promoting values of secularism, universal brotherhood and human rights, as exemplified by Guru Tegh Bahadur, as per the resolution.

Participating in a discussion on the resolution, Bains said school students in Punjab were taught about the Guru's history during the morning assemblies. Seminars dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur were organised in all colleges and universities in the state, he said.

Hailing the ninth Sikh Guru's supreme sacrifice, BSP MLA Nachhatar Pal demanded that Rupnagar district be named after Guru Tegh Bahadur or be changed to Anandpur Sahib.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa too spoke about the supreme sacrifice Guru Tegh Bahadur, saying it is a moving testament to his unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom of religion and human dignity.

Bajwa raised the issues of Chandigarh, Panjab University, pending rural development fund and water sharing and said all Punjabis should come together for the state's rights. In a veiled attack on the BJP-led Centre, Bajwa said attempts were being made to "rewrite history".

He alleged that the "current ruler of the country" thinking is similar to that of the Mughals and the British.

"Attempts are being made to rewrite our history. We need to be alert. You see every day, Punjab's patience is being tested," he said.

"Punjabis will have to be united. We may have political differences, but for the land of Punjab, Punjabiyat, we need to come together for our rights," Bajwa said.

A bulletin of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha listed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 among the provisional list of 10 bills for the upcoming session beginning December 1.

The bill that proposes to bring Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly, sparked sharp reactions from leaders in Punjab.

The Centre, clarified a day later that it has no intention of bringing the proposed bill on Chandigarh in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament and asserted that the proposal doesn't aim to change traditional arrangements between Chandigarh and Punjab and Haryana. PTI CHS VSD SKY SKY