Amid the reports that Central Government is planning to shift the venue of the Punjab leg of G-20 Education meeting out of Amritsar, Punjab Chief Secretary VK Janjua has said that it is to be held as per schedule. “I have confirmed at the highest level and the summit is as scheduled at Amritsar,” he said, adding that certain people were unnecessarily spreading rumours. Earlier in the morning, there was news that Central government have shifted the venue of G20 Education meeting out of Punjab citing Law and Order situation. But later in evening, the state government cleared the air that there would be two meeting that would be hosted in Amritsar. Amid all these rumors, many politicians posted on social media against and in favour of State’s ruling government.
AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney also clarified that the event will be held as per schedule later this month. In a tweet, he stated, “Happy to inform that as of now @g20org meeting is confirmed at #Amritsar during 15-17 Mar as scheduled. Punjab is fully capable of hosting an international event & one stray Incident cant be reflection of State it will be a memorable event.”
“As soon as heard rumours I swung into action since mrng called MEA, ministry of education, G20 secretariat. There was a discussion on law & order but good sense prevailed and G20 meet is happening in Amritsar as scheduled,” said Vikram Sahney.
The G-20 Summit is scheduled in two phases in Amritsar: The Y-20 meeting from March 15 to March 17 on Education and L-20 meeting on March 19-20 on Labour. Earlier, Member of Parliament Jasbir Singh Dimpa had said that the Centre was contemplating shifting the G-20 Summit outside Punjab on the pretext of the Ajnala incident in particular, besides other radical activities. “This is an unfortunate development that would show Punjab in a very bad light on the global level. The G-20 Summit that was to be held in Amritsar this month has been cancelled by the Government of India, keeping in view the Ajnala incident and the activities particularly being done by the radical Sikhs,” he said.
Dimpa had also urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to call an all-party meeting and take a joint move to urge the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and other concerned departments to rollback the decision.
“We didn’t have any other opportunity other than this for gaining the limelight that would have helped for the overall development of the state. I believe that Amritsar was being defamed by the Centre taking an excuse of Ajnala incident. I appeal to the CM to rise above the party lines and call up all the leaders jointly to take up the matter with the PM and HM against shifting the G-20 Summit,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Gurjeet Singhn Aujla had also tweeted, “Dear @PMOIndia Sh @narendramodi & @AmitShah, conspiracy to exclude Sri Amritsar Sahib from #G20 hosts list became known when national channels started highlighting Amritpal. This is suggestive of utter failure of intel & law enforcement agencies.”
While targeting the Bhagwant Mann led AAP govt, Aujla tweeted: “@HMOIndia & @CMOPb @BhagwantMann your poor grip over law & order is noticed well by anti-India elements pulling strings of hoax creaters and it is getting exploited. @MEAIndia Punjab is a safe state & can host #G20Summit Do not push Punjab into another era of darkness.”