Bhattal-Amarinder behn bhai

The bhai bhai spirit seems to have percolated down to Punjab politicians as well. Bonhomie seems to have stuck Amarinder and his bete noir R...

The bhai bhai spirit seems to have percolated down to Punjab politicians as well. Bonhomie seems to have stuck Amarinder and his bete noir Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who can now be seen working in tandem. Bhattal was the main organiser of the World Punjabi Conference and suddenly MLAs who are known Bhattal loyalists are being invited to government functions. Amarinder went out of his way to ensure that Bhattal is seated next to Elahi at the joint press conference of the two CMs of Punjab. Is it a common fear of the emergence of a third candidate for the CM’s post that has forced them to close ranks and act as behn bhai?

A Patiala peg for Pak

Prior to independence, Lahore and Amritsar were regarded as the twin capitals of Punjabi culture. Courtesy, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the cultural capital seems to have shifted to Patiala. Amarinder’s home town played host to both the World Punjabi conference and the Indo-Pak Punjab games. While the nation was looking at Patiala to fathom the extent to which the flow of emotions of punjabiyat can drown contentious emotions like Kashmir, Amarinder managed to score many points for organising the two events. Both events bore his stamp and royalty was evident, whether it was the scale of events, the renovations, cultural shows or the dinners at his Moti Bagh palace. No wonder, overwhelmed by the hospitality at Amarinder’s Moti Bagh palace, visiting Pakistan Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi went back all praise for Amarinder. Mera bhai Amarinder, he said.

Shrines to visitors

Two places are an indicator of the deluge of visiting Pakistanis — the Wagah border and the Golden Temple. Wagah continued to be the destination as far as Punjab was concerned. Every week, some Punjab minister or official was rushing to Wagah to receive guests from across the border. And most visitors make it a point to begin their Indian journey by visiting the Golden Temple. SGPC officials are now busy getting more replicas of the Golden Temple which they traditionally bestow on dignitaries as a token of gratitude.

Oil over Punjab

The oil refinery issue never fails to die in Punjab. Will the proposed 11,000 crore Bathinda oil refinery ever be built? The opposition accuses the Congress of deliberately stalling the project. Every month the government claims that the deal is being renegotiated, but little has happened. However the focus now is on the two transnational pipelines being planned, the Indo-Iran and the Turkmenistan-Pakistan-India pipeline. Will it take a northern route via Lahore to enter Punjab, or will it take the southward route via Gwadar port in Pakistan? Whether Punjab will be a part of the pipeline remains a moot question.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the designation gives law enforcement “enhanced powers to combat a group that has instilled fear through violence and intimidation”.

Canada designates Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity

Cities1 hr ago

The Canadian government has labeled the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group, granting authorities more authority to combat their violent behavior. The gang, operating in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, has been connected to 50+ violent incidents since 2023.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS