Punjab CM, family members offer prayers at city gurdwara

Patna: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, accompanied by members of his family, arrived here on Monday to pay obeisance at Takhat Shri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, the birthplace of the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, a few weeks after the framing of the stringent anti-sacrilege law pertaining to religious places in Punjab.After offering prayers at Patna Sahib, Mann told reporters, “Our priority is to ensure security and purity of religious places in Punjab. I prayed for the success of the anti-sacrilege law, for prosperity and progress of Punjab and the country, and also for world peace.”Later, speaking to reporters at the Patna airport, the Punjab CM launched an attack on the BJP and the Centre, accusing them of weakening democracy through “politics of poaching” and engineering defections in opposition parties.Referring to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, Mann said the rights of genuine voters must be protected. “In democracy, people’s rights are important, and protecting voters’ rights is the responsibility of the govt. We will not permit the deletion of names of genuine voters from the electoral roll in Punjab under any circumstances,” he said.