A file photo of Maharashtra's PWD minister Ashok Chavan
Taking an exception to the remarks of Maharashtra’s Public Works Department (PWD) minister Ashok Chavan, the Punjab state government on Monday denied the allegation that drivers who ferried the Sikh pilgrims from Nanded to Punjab were residents of the northern state.
“Punjab Government today vehemently refuted statement given by Mr Ashok Chavan, PWD Minister, Maharashtra in which he claimed that drivers from Punjab might have infected pilgrims from Nanded Sahib,” an official communication from the state government’s social media handle said.
“Mrs Razia Sultana, Transport Minister, Punjab rejected the statement. Disclosing that first batch of 31 vehicles (20 buses & 11 Tempo Travelers) which ferried 860 pilgrims from Sri Nanded Sahib were all Maharashtra vehicles and crew. She added first 3 groups of pilgrims which came via private buses were arranged locally there itself (sic),” the state government’s clarification on the matter said.
Over 600 Sikh pilgrims returning from Nanded Sahib, one of the five takhts of Sikhism, have returned positive coronavirus results. As many as 4,000 of them had got stranded at the Sikh shrine after the lockdown restrictions were announced.
Tempers between the two allied state governments have been flaring up in the wake of Sikh pilgrims returning from the holy shrine testing positive for the virus in dozens.
The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had claimed during a Facebook live session that the pilgrims might have got infected with the virus during their journey back to Punjab from Maharashtra.
“The drivers from Punjab, who came to Nanded and took the pilgrims back, might have got infected during their journey. These drivers might have also carried the infection to the gurdwara in Nanded and also among the pilgrims during the return journey,” Chavan reportedly said.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had earlier this week accused the Maharashtra state government of lying about the pilgrims having been tested thrice.
"Maharashtra lied to us. If they would have informed us that these pilgrims have not been tested, we would have taken adequate measures,” Singh said in e-remarks given to a news channel on Sunday.
Also read: 20 people residing in Nanded gurudwara test coronavirus positive
