Amritsar Municipal Councillor Harpal Singh Verka, the man behind putting hoardings hailing Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for playing a crucial role in the opening of Kartarpur Corridor, has appealed people to 'share the posters and thank the leaders' on social media widely.
Hailing the duo as "real heroes responsible for the opening of the corridor," Harpal Singh Verk said, "Our prayers have been met. These two leaders were the means for the opening of the corridor. When Sidhu went to Pakistan he asked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for it and he agreed."
" I request all to share the poster on Facebook and other platforms," he added.
The poster read: "The real heroes who get the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor open. We Punjabis fearlessly give credit to Navjot Singh Sidhu and Imran Khan because we are not ungrateful people."
On the other hand, a video song released by the Pakistan government welcoming Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib has created a controversy as it has pictures of three Khalist separatist leaders, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the background in one part of the clip.
The video, released by Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday, has posters of Bhindranwale, Major General Shabeg Singh and Amrik Singh Khalsa, all of whom were killed during Indian Army's Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the corridor on the Indian side on November 8, his Pakist counterpart Imran Khan will open the route on the other side the following day.
India and Pakistan had, on October 24, signed an agreement on the modalities for operationalising Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, paving the way for its inauguration ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib.
The route will connect Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district with Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.
( With inputs from ANI )