New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20 made a ‘surprise’ visit to Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib in New Delhi to pay tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur for his supreme sacrifice.
Photographers were not far behind. This was his first visit to a gurudwara since he became PM in 2014.
The visit fueled speculation whether the Prime Minister will visit a church also for the first time this year. The ‘photo op’ came in for much criticism because Modi has not had the time to meet the farmers camping in freezing cold at the Delhi borders.
The visit was tweeted by several people.
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s death anniversary was observed on December 19. The mortal remains of the ninth Sikh Guru were consigned to flames at Gurdwara Rakabganj.
The prime minister’s visit to one of the most popular gurudwaras in the national capital comes amid intense protests by farmers, especially from Punjab, against the three farm laws.
The farmers’ protest entered day 23. Farmers will observe ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ across the country to pay homage to those farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing agitation.
During Modi’s visit, no police bandobast or traffic barriers were put in place to restrict the movement of the common people, PTI news agency reported quoting official sources.
“This morning, I prayed at the historic Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, where the pious body of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was cremated. I felt extremely blessed. I, like millions around the world, am deeply inspired by the kindnesses of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji,” Modi tweeted after the visit.
Following the event, dozens of users took to Twitter to call out Modi’s visit as a ‘drama’ and ‘photo-op’ in the backdrop of the ongoing agitation by hundreds of thousands of farmers at Delhi’s borders.
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bad-drama-lousy-acting-people-call-out-modis-hypocrisy-in-visiting-gurudwara-rakabganj