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PM to inaugurate redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt railway station on July 17: Bittu
The redeveloped, 110-year-old Jalandhar Cantt Railway Station, has been modernised while preserving its architectural heritage and incorporating elements that reflect the rich cultural ethos of Punjab
Union minister of state (MoS) for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Jalandhar on July 17 for the inauguration of the newly renovated Jalandhar Cantonment railway station.
Bittu, who was inspecting ongoing development work on Wednesday, said the railway station has been renovated with a cost of ₹100 crore and the state-of-the-art facilities have been added for people’s convenience.
The redeveloped, 110-year-old Jalandhar Cantt Railway Station, has been modernised while preserving its architectural heritage and incorporating elements that reflect the rich cultural ethos of Punjab.
The station now features a spacious double-height air concourse, heavy steel platform roofing, slip-resistant flooring, energy-efficient LED lighting, convenient entry from both sides of the city, and two new foot over bridges.
He also held meeting with senior officials of the Ferozepur Division to review the preparations for PM Modi’s visit.
Centre has no role in removal of ‘Satluj’ from OTT platform: Bittu
Refuting rival parties claims that central government is linked to the removal of the film Sutlej, Bittu said, the Centre has no rights on censoring OTT content.
“The Centre has no role in the removal of the ‘propagandist’ movie Sutlej, which showed my grandfather and former chief minister Beant Singh in poor light, from the OTT platform. The Centre has no such rights,” Bittu said.
The minister is the grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh who was assassinated in 1995.
Slamming Diljit Dosanjh and the filmmakers, Bittu accused them of evoking “communal division” in the state.
“Movie makers and Diljit Dosanjh are looking for financial gains, while ignoring the hard earned peace in the state ensured by my grandfather and Punjab Police following black years of terrorism. Diljit created a sensation by asking people to download the film before it was taken down. He along with makers and OTT platform had minted huge money by playing with the sentiments of the people,” Bittu said.
The film, which was earlier titled “Punjab ‘95” and details the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab in the turbulent 1990s when the state was reeling under terrorism, was released uncut on ZEE5 on July 3 under a new title -- “Satluj”. However, the movie, which was stuck with the censors for more than three years, was removed from the platform two days later on July 5.
Bittu felt Punjab’s history should be presented in its entirety and not through a “one-sided narrative”. “The film presents only ‘one-sided narrative’. No even a single FIR was registered against Jaswant Singh Khalra during Beant Singh tenure, then how could my grandfather be held responsible for Khalra’s disappearance as displayed in the movie,” he asked, adding that Khalra disappeared after his grandfather’s assassination on August 31, 1995.
He reiterated that militancy has no religion and that violence must never be glorified or associated with any community or faith. Punjab’s history should be examined through facts, verified records and historical context rather than selective narratives or political propaganda, he emphasised.
