Punjab CM writes to Home Minister, Maha CM seeking evacuation of stranded devotees

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Amita Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking their intervention to evacuate over 2000 pilgrims who are stranded at Gurudwara Hazur Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra. He urged them to facilitate the evacuation of devotees through special trains or flights.

Chandigarh:Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at the historic Gurudwara Hazur Sahib at Nanded because of the countrywide lockdown.

"Have written to HM @AmitShah Ji & Maharashtra CM to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at Nanded Sahib Gurudwara. The pilgrims have been stranded there for long & we owe them a safe return to their homes & families," Singh tweeted.

In his letters to the Home Minister and Maharashtra CM, the chief minister said around 2,000 pilgrims from Punjab had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra.

The CM said that due to cancellation of trains some days back and the nationwide lockdown imposed since midnight earlier today, there is no immediate possibility of bringing the devotees to Punjab without special approval of the Government of India.

He pointed out that the Punjab government had already written to the Ministry of railways to allow plying of special trains to evacuate the stranded devotees.

"Our offices have been in touch with the district administration of Nanded and I have also written to the Maharashtra chief minister for making suitable interim arrangements for their board and lodging in Nanded," Singh wrote in his letter to Shah.

He urged the union minister to facilitate the evacuation of devotees through special trains or flights.

(PTI)