Chandigarh, Sep 16: The NDA government’s decision to allow the India-Pakistan cricket match while denying permission for Sikh pilgrims to visit Shri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan has sparked a political row. Leaders from both Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal have accused the Centre of “double standards.”
Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Home Minister Amit Shah to review the September 12 Home Ministry advisory, which directed state governments not to accept applications for Jathas to visit the Sikh shrine. He stressed that denying permission during the holy Prakash Purab would hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs.
“Given the resumption of sports ties between India and Pakistan, the Kartarpur Corridor should also be reopened for Sikh devotees,” Badal added. Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kaler questioned why cricket matches could be allowed between the two nations while religious visits remained blocked.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also criticised the Centre, highlighting the inconsistency: “When a cricket match with Pakistan is allowed, why not let devotees visit Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib?”
The Home Ministry advisory cited prevailing security concerns with Pakistan and stated that Jathas would not be permitted to travel to Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib in November this year. It instructed the states of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Delhi not to process pilgrimage applications.
The decision has reignited calls from Sikh leaders and communities for a reconsideration, as devotees continue to seek access to these important religious sites.