India should remain alert from Pakistan: Punjab CM

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday once again warned India to remain alert of Pakistan Army's hidden agenda behind the opening the Kartarpur shrine for Indian pilgrims.

Reacting to the release of the Pakistan government's official song welcoming Sikh pilgrims, with posters of Sikh separatist leaders in the background, the Chief Minister said: "On the one hand, Pakistan shows love while on the other, it does this. This is very inappropriate."

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, originally known as Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is a highly revered Sikh shrine, where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life and is also his final resting place. The corridor connects the shrine in Pakistan's Punjab province with the Indian Punjab.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor on Saturday and dispatch the first batch of pilgrims to visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara on the occasion of the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

Leading an all-party delegation, along with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Amarinder Singh will join the first batch of pilgrims through the Corridor.

Two days ago, the Chief Minister had stressed on the need for caution against Pakistan's nefarious designs.

The Sikh community had been asking for opening of the passage to the sacred Kartarpur shrine for the past 70 years but Pakistan's sudden decision to accept the demand indicated an ulterior motive, aimed at driving a wedge between the Sikh community by exploiting its religious sentiments, he said.

While he did not expect Pakistan to dare to do any mischief through the corridor, it was important, as a border state, for Punjab to remain on alert, the Chief Minister said.

The state was keeping a close eye on the situation and was maintaining a heightened alert, he added.