A major row erupted after Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath was honoured at a Sikh event on Tuesday on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti in Indore. The video of singer Manpreet Singh Kanpuri slamming the decision of inviting Kamal Nath to the programme from the stage has gone viral as Sikh leaders have come forward showing support for Kanpuri. Kanpuri said he will never come to Indore.
BJP Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa issued a video statement and said, "At an event, Kamal Nath who is an accused of 1984 atrocities against the Sikhs was felicitated by a Sikh organisation -- knowingly or unknowingly. Bhai Manpreet Singh Kanpuri has condemned the incident and swore that he will never come to Indore. It shows what pain we are carrying in our hearts. But these criminals are roaming around freely and are even getting felicitated."
"Bhai Manpreet Singh Kanpuri is a kirtan singer. But he was so pained that he had to express his feelings on the stage. I urge the Congress to suspend such members from the party and the Centre should complete the pending cases against Kamal Nath," Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.
{{/usCountry}}"Bhai Manpreet Singh Kanpuri is a kirtan singer. But he was so pained that he had to express his feelings on the stage. I urge the Congress to suspend such members from the party and the Centre should complete the pending cases against Kamal Nath," Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.
{{/usCountry}}In the video, Manpreet Singh Kanpuri said it should not have happened that the person 'who burnt Sikhs by putting tyres around their neck' was called to the event. He also criticised the organisers as his statement from the stage created a furore. He said they were quiet when Kamal Nath came but was protesting when he was speaking. The entire event became political, Kanpuri said. As Kanpuri complained, an organiser said Kamal Nath was not given Kesari siropa but only a memento was given in keeping with the tradition. To this, the singer said, "I will never come to Indore. Guru Nanak is watching."
The organisers attempted to placate the singer but the singer continued to express his anger. The organiser then said, "Do whatever you please. You are a wise person."
Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra reacted to the incident and requested the singer to reconsider his decision of not coming to Indore again. He urged the singer to not punish Indore for the fault of a few. “It was not the fault of Indore. People who went to the event to cover up their crime are responsible. Don't punish Indore for their fault,” Mishra said.