Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 16: Demanding installation of a statue of Banda Singh Bahadur at Kunjwani Chowk, members of National Sikh Front and United Sikh Council held a joint protest demonstration, here today.
While addressing the gathering, chairman of National Sikh Front S Varinder Jeet Singh claimed that demand for installing Banda Singh Bahadur’s statue was being raised by the Sikh Sangat before 2009 when Kunjwani – Satwari four lane road work was not even in progress.
“Sikh Sangat has passed many resolutions on this matter and sent the same to Government, which did nothing in this regard while Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma recently suggested statue of someone else at the same place”, he said.
President of United Sikh Council S Kuldeep Singh announced that the name of Kunjwani-Satwari crossing would be Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk from today. “We are proud that the person who established the first Sikh State in the country, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur belongs to our Jammu and Kashmir. The statue of this great warrior will be built in Kunjwani Chowk for sure,” he said.
President of National Sikh Front Kulwant Singh Bhatti said that M P Madan Lal Sharma, before commenting on statue of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, should change the name of Akhnoor city to Maharaja Ranjit Singh Nagar because at that place Maharaja Ranjit Singh had done the Raj Tilak of Gulab Singh and made him Maharaja Gulab Singh.
Gurdyal Singh Bali, vice president of National Sikh Front threatened agitation if the Government does not install statue of Banda Bahadur at Kunjwani Chowk.
He also appealed to all the regional political parties not to make it a political issue but support the demand of Sikh Sangat.
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