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Canadian PM to pay obeisance at Golden Temple tomorrow

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Press Trust of India Amritsar
Preparations by the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) are in full swing for the proposed visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Golden Temple here tomorrow.

Trudeau is scheduled to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple along with his family, officials said here today.

A series of meetings between the officials of the SGPC and the Punjab government were held to provide foolproof security to the visiting dignitary, they said.

A thick security blanket was put in place in and around the Golden Temple, officials said.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is slated to welcome the Canadian PM in Amritsar. "Look forward to meeting Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau in Amritsar on Wednesday said, I'm hopeful that this meeting will help strengthen the close Indo-Canadian business ties as well as the deep-rooted people-to-people relations between our two countries," Singh had tweeted, adding that instructions were issued to the state administration to roll out the red carpet for the visiting dignitary.
 

District administration officials said arrangements for cleaning of roads, removing illegal encroachments were being undertaken on war footing.

Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha assured that the general public, including tourists, would not face any difficulty due to the Canadian PM's visit.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal held a series of meetings to discuss the preparations being made for Trudeau's welcome and also issued dress code instructions for its officials and members of SGPC's internal security task force.

Longowal said former deputy chief minister of Punjab and president of the SAD Sukhbir Badal and his wife Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal would receive the Canadian PM at the main gate of Golden Temple.

According to SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh, Trudeau would partake of langar at Guru Ram Das Langar Hall (the community kitchen of the Golden Temple).

He would then be honoured at the information centre, Roop Singh said.

The SGPC has arranged a specially crafted 24-karat gold-plated portrait of the shrine and a gold-plated 'Siri Sahib' (a small six-inch sword) to be presented to the Canadian PM along with a 'siropa' (robe of honour) and a shawl.

His wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau would be presented a woollen shawl and a set of religious books.

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First Published: Feb 20 2018 | 7:40 PM IST

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